


At The End of The Rope

by shiftylinguini



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (But Not In the A/B/O Sense), Alpha Teddy Lupin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, Auror James Sirius Potter, Auror Partners, Auror Teddy Lupin, Begging, Biting, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Forced Bonding, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Hung Teddy Lupin, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Jealousy, Knotting, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Marking, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter, Mutual Pining, Non-Presenting James Sirius Potter, Omega James Sirius Potter, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Potions, Reference to Thwarted Non-Con (not between James/Teddy), Scent Kink, Scenting, Unexpected Heat, first heat, reference to recreational drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:13:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiftylinguini/pseuds/shiftylinguini
Summary: Everyone presents in the springtime of their fifteenth year, and no one was more excited about this than James ― or more disappointed when it didn’t happen. But that’s okay, at twenty-two he’s now made peace with being an Absent Presentation, and with his conviction that no one in their right mind would want to be with or claim someone like him, least of all the person he really wants. He’s got his work and his right hand, and even if he sometimes thinks about what it would be like to be honest with Teddy about how he feels, he knows he couldn’t bear the rejection ― at least, that’s what he tells himself when he can’t get to sleep at night.But all that is tested after a run-in with an overzealous admirer and a routine Auror call-out gone drastically wrong. As James is left now presenting in full as an Omega, and bound to stay in Teddy’s presence, the careful balancing act he’s built his life around grows more precarious by the second.





	1. Choke or Swallow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamisaac (sabethea)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=iamisaac+%28sabethea%29).



> Happy birthday, iamisaac! I so hope you enjoy this, and I hit some of your buttons :) It's been great getting to know you (and flailing over Next Gen) with you in fandom!
> 
> Enormous thanks to [Gracerene](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gracerene/pseuds/gracerene) for beta-ing this fic for me - you are a star!

Faint sunlight filtered through the fraying and hole-ridden curtains of the attic room. Outside, a gentle spring rain fell against the window pane, tiny soft droplets misting the glass. The lilac leaves of the wisteria growing outside, climbing along the side and rafters of the house, swayed gently in the breeze, the movement sweet and calm. A small thatched robin's nest was visible on an utmost branch, three turquoise blue eggs nestled safely in the centre. 

Inside, James struggled against the ropes binding him. 

“Look, I don't even know you!” he yelled as he pulled against the scratchy hessian of the bindings. Fuck, these were tied well; conjured rope was always so bloody hard to get out of. He gritted his teeth. 

Across from him, the middle-aged man smiled kindly, like he would at a friend, or an old companion. 

“Ah, but you will know me, you will my sweet boy.” James recoiled as the man reached out to touch his cheek, fingers almost brushing the skin. “You're _so_ like your father.” 

James paused, frowning in disbelief. “You know my father?” 

“No, no, not yet. But I will, I _will_ , when I bond with you, oh yes when we become one!” He smiled, his eyes glazed and his teeth perfectly straight. The man’s face was handsome, if a little plain, his hair a light sandy blond and neatly trimmed, his skin clear and the corners of his eyes crinkled with gentle crow’s feet. His eyes themselves, though, were less gentle. They were a light hazel-green, a lovely colour, but they were glassy, unsettling. 

The man looked perfectly normal, James thought, and completely fucking insane. 

“We’re going to be so _happy_ together,” he whispered, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “The Potters and I. Such a happy family.” 

“Er…” James recoiled further. He swallowed, looking from the man’s pristine smile to his unhinged eyes. “Sure we are.” 

The man moved his hand, almost touching James, before drawing his fingers back and taking a deep breath. He returned to the elaborate potions station on the table against the far wall, his back to James. 

James leaned as far away as the rickety wooden chair he was tied to would allow, his expression caught somewhere between shock and disgust, and a completely inappropriate urge to laugh. Or, perhaps given the circumstances, it wouldn't be that inappropriate. There was something quite hilarious about this situation, about James Potter, Auror of two years, getting captured by a man who smiled like he was in a tooth whitening commercial and whose eyes indicated he was about as connected with reality as the people who bought said toothpaste hoping it would improve their appearance. 

James cleared his throat, reminding himself that unhinged or not, this guy was armed ― James could see the wand peeking out of the top of his pocket ― and thus potentially dangerous. James didn't see the need to panic just yet, though. 

His squad would have seen him go into that theatre on the ministry wand register, right before Captain Smiles over there had disarmed him and Side-Alonged him to this dump of a room. Clever, really, James had to admit ― calling out a disturbance to that abandoned theatre, then hitting James with the spell from behind. But Teddy was James’s partner, and Teddy was good. Better than that, he was efficient, and he had an almost uncanny ability to know when James was in some kind of strife. Which was, well, more often than it should be, admittedly, but it did help to know that Teddy always had his back, no matter what life was putting said back up against. He’d figure out soon enough that something wasn't right. For a routine call out, James shouldn't have been in there that long, shouldn't have dropped off the grid and out of contact with them the way he did. Sooner or later, they’d put a track on his wand, and realise that the last magical signature to touch it hadn’t been his own, and then voila ― it would be bonjour rescue team, and au revoir to this creepy, kidnapping arsehole. James steeled himself internally. He just had to keep calm, and keep Sunshine over there talking and… and this would all be okay. James breathed in sharply through his nose, fighting to keep his heart rate steady. This would all be okay. 

He pulled again experimentally at the ropes binding his wrists over the back of the chair, testing their strength. They were...he grimaced. Dammit, they were so _tight_. And tied bloody well ― this fucker obviously knew how to cast ― but maybe if he could just move his thumb a little to the …. 

Across the room, the man’s chair scraped along the floor. James stilled, looking up slowly to see the now seated man staring at him, one leg crossed over the other. Next to him, on the granite work top, one of the potions vials burbled ominously. James plastered a sickening smile onto his face. 

“Bond, you were saying?” he asked conversationally, smiling and still trying to reach the knot of the rope with his fingers. He tried to keep his expression as benign as he could when the man glanced down at his arms, bent behind the chair as they were. James raised his brows, still smiling sweetly and pretending he was just scratching his shoulder blades against the chair. Somewhat mollified, the man’s expression eased. God, this wanker was as thick as two bricks, James thought. 

“Yes, the soul bond. The true declaration of love and harmony between an Alpha and an Omega.” His eyes shone again as he looked away, at the two vials of liquid he held in his hands. When he spoke again, it was at the liquid swirling in the simple glass tubes. “It’s the purest and most sublime form of love there is, and can ever be,” he finished in an awed whisper. 

James blinked, fighting the urge to groan derisively. _The purest form of_ ― what was this tosser _on_? 

James took a deep breath and pinched his mouth shut. The man turned back to him, his expression euphoric, and James tried to smile as reassuringly as he could. 

“Don't you agree, James?” the man asked. James resisted the urge to shiver at his familiar tone; they’d never even _met_ before. James fought his repulsion down. 

“Oh, uh, well.” He cleared his throat. “Of course! Of course, it's beautiful. With the…” James shook his head. “Souls, and bonding. Gosh, it's just, all so… wow! You know?” He smiled again, as charmingly as he could, as he stalled. 

He didn't know much about Omega and Alpha bonding, but he did know it was just a fancier way of saying "claiming", and meant no more than that. Alphas could claim anyone, Omega, Beta ― hell, even another Alpha if they wanted ― by biting their neck when in rut. A lot of people only saw it as valid and natural, though, when performed between Alphas and Omegas ― but a lot of others thought those people were idiots. 

It was meant to be, sexually at least, an incredibly intimate and erotic experience for all parties involved, similar to being marked by a lover ― baring a neck, having them leave their mark on it. The bond it created wa To some people that meant a bond. 

To others, it was just an outdated mode of signifying ownership which had simply taken on more romantic notions these days. _Kinda like real marriage_ , Albus had said to James once, his voice heavy with scorn. According to him, it had sod all to do with love, pure or otherwise; it was about fucking, about Alphas claiming what was theirs. 

He also knew it was permanent. The bite mark would fade, but not entirely, and the claim would never leave. That didn’t mean someone was forever tied to the Alpha who claimed them; the couple could split up, separate, never see each other again if they liked. They could form a new relationship, take a new lover ― but they could never be claimed again, the same way an Alpha could only claim one mate. There was only one shot at a bond, and while that didn’t mean an eternity locked together, a failed bond meant a permanent peach-coloured mark on a neck and a whole lot of regrets. 

James remembered that much from those overly cautious Reproductive Education classes at Hogwarts, his fellow students tittering around him as the Professors talked about _‘avoiding the folly of youth’_ and _‘waiting to meet the right person before jumping in to claiming or being claimed as a mate’_. 

That last fact made it somewhat rare. James himself didn’t know anyone who had done it, had never talked to anyone about it. To be fair, though, James generally found a reason to leave the room whenever people brought up claiming; as someone who had never presented, James found those types of conversations both awkward and incredibly painful to be in the room with. He hadn’t known it back then, as he sat in those Hogwarts classes and giggled over claiming along with the rest of the students, but there was never going to be anyone jumping into a claim with him, not as far as James could see. Who the hell would want an Absent Presentation as a mate?

Albus and Lily had both presented as Alpha, but neither of them had ever had a serious special someone in their lives ― although James suspected Albus was seeing someone on the sly. As for himself, well, James now had to break the unfortunate news about his lack of presentation to this creepy, smiley, bondage obsessed prick. 

He smiled again, tilting his head and trying to look as guileless as he could. 

“It all sounds wonderful, it really does. The only issue I can see here is that…” James paused, weighing his words. He needed this to make an impact on the guy, but he also needed him not to flip out and introduce James to the green end of his wand. He lifted one shoulder, still trying to look as reassuring and harmless as possible. 

“Well, the issue is, I am not, in fact, an Omega,” James stated as bluntly as he could. Best break it to him gently, yes, but get it through his thick skull all the same. Then they could get on with ending this farce, and Smiles could shut up about bonding and souls and god knows what came next. The honeymoon in Florida, presumably. 

The man blinked back demurely at him, and James fought another wave of repulsion. And then a second wave of worry; he hadn't expected that reaction from him. Anger, surprise, humiliation, yes ― but not this. This golden haired, straight-toothed lunatic didn't look phased in the slightest by the large spanner James had just inserted into the wheels of his plans. 

“I'm not even a Beta,” James repeated, more clearly. “With the… I never presented. At all. I'm not… you can't do that bond with me.” He frowned, swallowing hard as he fought the wave of shame that came with saying that. Every time, no matter how many times it came up, James still felt it, no matter how much he told himself he’d made peace with what he was. 

He was used to it now, really, used to the knowledge that there were three types of presentation ― and that he was none of them. Absent Presentation was _“a developmental abnormality in which presentation never occurs. This is different to delayed or reduced presentation, as the subject does not carry any of the attributes assigned to Alphas, Betas or Omegas, and will never carry or possess them.”_ At least, according to any Healer worth his salt. James had seen enough of them in his time to know that, been taken by his mildly worried mother when he was fifteen and still hadn't shown an inclination to one of the three sides. And then again when he was sixteen....and then again at seventeen. 

By that stage it was clear enough to all and sundry that this was more than delayed presentation ― this was a complete lack thereof. It was clear to everyone, that was, except James. He nodded along during appointments and check-ups, as his dad sat next to him and patted him on the knee, told him there was nothing wrong with him, this was just something that happened to some people. His dad had looked so kind, his hair just starting to go grey back then, and his expression earnest and sincere. James had tried, but he couldn't believe him. Surely this wasn’t normal? If it was, why so many tests, why so many hushed discussions between Healers and his parents, why was his dad taking such care to comfort him? 

“It’s just routine for this sort of thing, Jamie, that’s all. Hey, don’t look so worried.” His dad had smoothed his hair back from his forehead, wrapped an arm around him. 

“But if it’s normal, why is it such a big deal?” he’d mumbled into the scratchy wool of his dad’s jumper, the green fluff of the knitted H getting caught in his mouth. He pulled it off his tongue, wrinkling his nose in disgust. His father had sighed, his voice deep and comforting as he’d rested his chin on James’s head.

“You’re just a little different, that’s all this is.” 

But James felt more than a little different. He felt like a freak. But he’d swallowed that down, looked up at his dad like he believed him, like he didn’t fear his parents were disappointed James hadn’t turned out normal ― _proper_ normal ― like everyone else’s kids. 

When Albus presented as Alpha two years later and in the springtime, like it always happened with fifteen year olds, he had been too worried it would upset James to tell him, wearing heavy cologne so no one would catch his scent, changing his sheets and hiding all evidence from his father. It only lasted three days, before Harry figured him out, congratulated him and organised his appointment with the usual Healers. Albus’s face had been so apologetic, so unnecessarily sad, when he looked at James, but James had simply smiled and hugged him like everyone else had. It was an open secret among the family by that point, that James was _a little different_ as his father had said, that there was more to it than just a delay in his expression. James smiled and pretended he was okay with it, that he’d never minded much how he presented in the first place, his voice confident and cocky enough, only wobbling every now and again. Most people believed him, or believed him well enough, but his brother knew him better than that. 

James hadn’t even cried, not until much later that night, and then it was as quietly as he could, his pillow stuffed into his mouth to suffocate the sound. He’d woken up the next morning, exhausted, and had nearly trodden on his brother, who had crept in during the night with his pillow and blanket and slept on the floor. James thought perhaps he hadn’t been as quiet as he’d thought. 

He’d kept hoping, on the inside, that it would come. That he would wake up one morning and feel that warmth between his legs, on the back of his thighs, that his senses would change and he would pick the scent of those around him. Above all, he’d hoped that he would be an Omega. He’d have settled for a Beta, an Alpha; Alphas were the most common presentation, and he knew that was what everyone expected of him anyway, with his last name and his athletic prowess, his confident and reckless nature. But even from that very first lesson in Reproductive Biology, James had wanted to be an Omega. 

At first he just liked the word; Alpha sounded so strong, so definitive, so bold and direct, but omega fit in his mouth _perfectly_. It rolled around on his tongue as he shaped the word, reading the scrolls and parchments the school had given them for their Reproductive Traits class. 

“What’ll you be, Jamie?” Clarence had asked, elbowing him. James had rubbed his side, shrugging. Beside him, Sarah just snorted, sucking on a sugar quill. 

“Alpha, Clarry, Jamie's clearly an Alpha! Doesn’t take a Ravenclaw to see that.” She had pulled the quill from her mouth with a loud smack. James had stared at the traces of sugar on her lips as she pushed her glasses further up her nose, her frizzy black hair framing her face. 

“Really?” James had asked, his voice quiet and wondering. _Alpha_? He didn’t feel like an Alpha. He had turned back to Clarence, sitting next to him and chewing on the nail of one of his long fingers. Clarence had winked, and mouthed _Omega_ at James, and James had felt the most wonderful rush of warmth in his belly, and _lower_ as well. He liked the idea of that, the sound of that. He wanted to be an Omega, with their cycles, their unique scents. He didn’t want to be an Alpha, he knew then as he looked at Clarence's smiling hazel eyes; he wanted to be with one. He couldn't wait to hit fifteen, to present, to finally _know_. 

But it had never happened. 

Of course, the older he got, and the further away any kind of presentation seemed to get, the more desperately he wanted it. He’d always been popular enough, always fit in well, but as everyone else started presenting around him ― when the Omegas started talking about heat suppressants, and James heard the Alphas bragging that they’d gone into their first rut at fourteen, no thirteen, no _twelve_! ― James had listened with a sinking weight gathering in his gut. Even the Betas, with their somewhat less pronounced attributes, could scent, could mark and claim. When they talked about the way someone made them feel when they walked by and caught that heady, unique scent, James couldn't join in. He didn’t smell anything, not like they described ― or _didn’t_ describe. 

“It’s like…,” Clarence waved a hand, “it’s too hard to explain, Jamie. Sorry,” he’d said, his expression apologetic. “Hey, see you at Quidditch practice? I’ve got to…” he’d looked over his shoulder then back, trailing off as James had just nodded absently, the warmth in his belly that Clarence used to cause now a long-forgotten comfort. Clarence had looked like he’d wanted to say more, but James had already walked off, not wanting to see the pity and the lack of interest on Clarence’s face that he was sure would be there now. 

James had breathed in as deeply as he could, as he strode away, but all he could smell was the summer air, and the rain that had started to fall as it gently hit the warm pavers. Nothing else. Nothing unique, he’d thought glumly as he walked over to join Polly and Isak, the last two people in his year who had not yet presented, and who were hiding from the rain under an archway. 

When even Lily overtook him ― his little sister Lily, and how proud his father had been at her being an Alpha, just like him, just like the woman she was named after ― James had known. It wasn’t going to happen to him. He wasn’t just late, a slow developer; he was nineteen, nearing his second year of Auror training, and he was unequivocally, undeniably, an Absent Presentation. 

With characteristic determination, James had decided that it wasn’t going to stop him from doing what he wanted in life, wasn’t going to let it hold him back in any way ― beyond the unchangeable ways it would always hold him back, of course. Relationships, love ― claiming. Those things were always going to be closed off to him, no matter how many times the Healers reassured him there were ways around that for Absents, that it would be more than feasible for him to date and love anyone he wanted to. James didn’t ― _couldn't_ ― believe them. Who would want him, knowing that he was effectively sterile, that he would never have a heat or a rut. He could have sex alright ― everything worked fine ― but he couldn't be knotted without prep and a careful stretching lotion. There would never be a heat, never be a baby as a result of it; what Alpha would want that, would waste their claim on _him_?

One night stands James could do, hidden safely under a Glamour, and had before, but his partners could alway tell there was something different about him from the first time they caught his scent. _Alphas_ could always tell. 

That was what James liked, when sex was a scratch he needed to itch ― and sometimes they liked him too, liked that they couldn't quite place his scent. They were intrigued. He’d play along, aware that his looks were at least enough to keep their interest, to get them from the bar to his flat and then out of their clothes. But he knew he couldn’t keep them, couldn’t let an Alpha fuck him; they’d figure him out in seconds, that something was different when his body couldn’t naturally accommodate a knot. It wasn’t a guarantee that an Alpha would knot everytime, but if they did...well, James couldn't risk that humiliation. True, they might just think he was a Beta, but James knew that was unlikely; he didn’t smell like a Beta, as more than one Alpha had told him, their hands tangled in his hair as he took them in his mouth. 

Polly, the one person James had drunkenly confided his virginity too, had always maintained that all he needed to do was be upfront with them and he’d be surprised how few people would care in the slightest. James was pretty sure she would be surprised how many people _would_. 

The sex was always good, for one night, but it never happened twice. He wouldn't be able to keep the charade that he was presenting up any longer than that, and he couldn’t stomach the idea of telling someone what he was ― what he _wasn’t_ ― and seeing their face twist with pity, with their apologies, as they left. Because there was no other option, as far as James could see; they would leave him. 

As for that particular Alpha in his life, that man he knew and admired, who made James’s stomach twist when he smiled at him, and made James’s heart flutter and ache when he laughed ― that was a door James had slammed shut on his own face as quickly as he’d seen it open. It was hard sometimes, working together like they did, seeing each other so much through family and mutual friends, but James was good at hard. He could go days, even, without thinking about of the way Teddy sucked on his lower lip when he was reading, or how Teddy’s arm felt around him as they left Friday night drinks together. If he sometimes imagined the men he took home had hair the shade of robin’s eggs, dimples when they smiled and clever, strong hands, then James let himself have that ― but only that. The real thing was so far out of his reach that he couldn’t even let himself dream of trying to touch it. That was a rejection he couldn’t bear. 

There were times, though, when he felt himself getting close to testing it, testing how firmly that door was locked. Sometimes he found himself noticing the way Teddy spent so much time with him, the way he never seemed interested in the people who tried to pick him up. Teddy would shrug them off, tell James he ‘ _was waiting for that special someone to come and take me home_ ’ while staring at James like there was a secret there they both knew. James would feel hope flare in his chest...and then die out again as quickly as it would come. 

Teddy didn’t mean him; Teddy just meant he was fussy, that he had standards, that he just hadn't met the right person. James would berate himself for being so ridiculous, as he looked away and signalled the bartender for another pint, and if Teddy looked disappointed those times, James knew he was imagining it ― just like he imagined it on the faces of the men he went home with when he refused to stay for breakfast. 

No, James wasn’t going to let being an Absent Presentation hold him back, but he wasn’t going to let himself believe he could ever have what those who presented did. And if this creepy, kidnapping fucker thought James was going to somehow end up _bonded_ to him, well. He was going to be more disappointed as James was on the springtime of his fifteenth. 

Across from him, his abductor giggled, a soft tinkling sound. James returned his attention to him, feeling dread trickle down his spine as Sunny Smiles leant forward. 

“I know,” he whispered, excitement and happiness clear in his voice. “I know what you are.” James stared. 

“So, if you _know_ , then ―”

“It was in the papers, you see.” The man’s voice was high now, almost proud as he shared this information. “I read about you, oh I read about you all. Albus, and Lily, and your beautiful, powerful mother ― ahh, and your fierce, strong father!” The man sighed dreamily, then shook his head, looking back at James. “It was you I read about the most though. The eldest Potter boy, the heir, so handsome and as strong as his father ― and _then_...Absent Presentation!” He bit his lower lip in glee, as if this was the most wonderful thing he’d ever heard. 

James stared back, confusion overwhelming him. He was beginning to feel more than unsettled by this guy, by his tone, that he knew so much about him. James had known the papers had had a field day with his lack of presentation ― once they figured out that the reason his parents wouldn't say what he was was in fact because he simply _wasn't_. Even when they tried to be kind they couldn’t resist praising him for doing so well in the Auror division “ _despite the hand that life had dealt him_.” Patronising arseholes. The pitying, overly familiar tone just made James even more determined to excel, to prove that he wasn’t lacking any kind of power or ability simply because he’d never gone through that second stage of puberty. Still, though, it hit him every time, the knowledge that he was different, and that bloody _everyone_ knew. 

Including this bastard. James set his jaw. He was getting very done with this whole situation. 

“Yeah, that’s me. Oldest Potter, no expression, it was in all the papers. There’s a book coming out about it soon. Merrick Chambers will play me in the film adaptation,” he added, annoyance getting the better of him. His arms ached, and his legs were getting stiff, and where the hell was his back-up? He wanted out of this, and _surely_ they had done a track on his wand by now? 

“Look, if you know all this, you’ll also know that you can’t do this lovely soul bond you’re so excited about, so it would be best for all of us right now if you just released me,” James swallowed, trying to regulate his tone back back down to something calmer, “and we can talk about what to do next,” he finished in his calmest voice. He‘d had the standard negotiator's training, he knew the buzz words to use and how to try and moderate situations like this. He’d never been in a real one though, not before this; third year out in the field, and James was _good_ , but he was still a little green around the edges, even he could admit that. 

“I’m _defunct_!” he exclaimed as the man simply stared at him, smiling at him in that revoltingly familiar way. 

The man sighed again, shaking his head as he looked at James, adoration shining in his eyes. 

“No, lovely boy. Not defunct. _Perfect_ ,” he whispered. “I knew you were special, from the moment you were born. I knew this was destiny.” He raised the vials again, the deep red liquid swirling in one, the opal white liquid in the other as still as ice. “Of course, I had hoped there would be an Omega in the family. That it would be you ― so handsome, so courageous and reckless, oh how I had hoped you would be an Omega, like your mother.” James watched as the man brought the two vials together. “I’m an Alpha you see, no surprises there. All the men on my father’s side have been Alphas for, oh, decades. Born to rule, we are,” the man finished smugly, and James laughed internally; ah, there we go, the Alpha Supremacist rhetoric. Figures someone with their head as far up their own arses as that lot would think kidnapping someone, then tying them to a chair, was the perfect atmosphere to tell them how wonderful they were. _You’re a real Prince Charming, mate_ , James thought angrily. 

“I do confess I was a little disappointed when you turned out to be Absent,” the man continued, and this time James did roll his eyes. _Yeah, you and me both, pal_ , he thought caustically. Oblivious, the man continued undeterred. 

“But I knew, still, that there was something special about you. You were the one. My way in,” he looked up at James, his expression turning greedy as he slowly began to tip the white substance into the vial of deep red liquid. “My beautiful golden ticket to the Potter family. Through you, I would become part of them, part of the legend. Through our _bond_.” 

The man looked up at James’s horrified face, the deep-red liquid in the vial slowly turning a vibrant cherry-red colour. He discarded the second now-empty vial, let it hit the wooden floor and roll until it hit the far wall. His smile never wavered. For the first time, James began to feel panic settle in, felt it run down the back of his neck. He flicked his gaze from the vial, to the man’s face, then back again. 

“Look, I’m very flattered, mate, but you can’t ―” he tried again, but the man waved his wand and James jerked as he felt the ropes tighten, curling up his arms to his shoulders. He jerked again, the bindings crossing his forehead, as they pulled his head back, exposing his neck. 

“Wait, what the ―” James struggled, grimacing as he tried to look around the room. He tensed his arms and thighs and tried to move anything he could. It was useless. “There’s no need to ― we can just talk! About the,” James swallowed, his Adam’s apple rubbing painfully against the tight burn of the rope, “about the bond stuff!” 

“Shh, Jamie. Can I call you Jamie?”

“ _No_!”

“It’s okay, Jamie.” 

James’s eyes widened as the man’s face appeared, hovering over him. In his hand the vial of liquid swirled ominously, and James recoiled as much as he could as horrible realisation hit him. 

“What is that, what are you doing with that?” he asked, his voice rough from the tight press of the rope and the way the angle bent his neck back. “What’re you ―”

“It’s just a potion. Just a little potion, to help you,” the man said, his eyes gleaming and his smile ecstatic. 

“Ah,” James laughed dryly. “No, you know, I don’t...I don’t really need any help.” He tried to twist his face away as the man moved close enough to almost touch his cheek, let his fingers hover just over James’s mouth. “I don’t really need any touching either, buddy, so just cool it with the ―”

“Shhh, I won’t touch you,” the man leant forward, close enough that James could feel the breath on his face, could smell him, “not yet,” he finished, anticipation clear in his voice. 

_Oh, gross_. 

James shut his mouth; if the fucker tried to kiss him, he was going to...well not much, considering he was tied to a chair, but he could probably bite his tongue off, possibly throw up on him. He pushed back as hard as he could as the man raised his wand, his fingers gripping the wood hard. 

“Now, open up.”

James glared. _Yeah not likely, arsehole_ , he thought, then jumped as the man whispered a spell and James’s jaw flew open. He tried to close it but it wouldn’t budge. _Ohh, shit_. 

Above him, the man shook his head sadly. “I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. That you would agree to this willingly ―”

“‘ _Illing’y_?! ‘Ou ‘ucking ‘iece o’ ‘it! ‘Et ‘e ‘o!” James groaned in frustration, struggling enough to make the chair scrape against the floor as he tried desperately to shut his mouth. He tried harder as the man smiled again, his eyes bright and feverish. 

“Open up, James Potter,” he said in an almost reverent voice, his wand pointed at James’s throat. James cringed, then gagged as the man tipped the vial forwards, the potion hitting the back of his throat and easily slipping down. 

It had no taste, not at first, but slowly an overpoweringly sweet flavour, like coconut and fermenting cherries, hit James. He gagged again, trying to wretch, to close his throat, but it was no use; his options were choke or swallow. 

“There we go, good boy, good boy. Swallow it all,” the man crooned as James gasped. 

James tried to move his head, to spit it at the man’s face ― _good boy_ , he wasn’t a fucking thestral ― but he was too overcome by the cloying, sweet taste of the liquid, the way it seemed to fill all his senses, and the distressing numbness it was causing as it travelled down his oesophagus and into his stomach. He gasped one last time, the vial now empty and his abductor beaming down at him like he’d never been prouder. The man made an almost child-like squeak of delight. 

“Good _boy_!” he repeated, whispering a soft _Finite_ and allowing James’s jaw to relax. He closed it slowly, his head still angled back by the ropes and his eyes watering as he stared at the ceiling. His stomach was churning, an unsettling warmth spreading up from his abdomen to his ribs. 

“What did you just…” he slurred, his tongue feeling thick and heavy in his mouth. His voice didn’t sound right; nothing sounded right, felt right ― _smelled_ right. James felt like his senses had been simultaneously dulled and heightened at once. 

He lurched forward as the man released the ropes around his forehead and neck, leaving him still bound but able to move his head. 

“I made you better.”

“You poisoned me,” James murmured. “You... _arse_ hole.”

“Don’t speak to your Alpha that way!” the man snapped, raising his voice for the first time. James made a derisive sound, the room beginning to spin. Oh, there was a whole lot he would like to say to this particular Alpha, if he could just make the room hold still long enough for him to get his wits together. 

His abductor breathed in deeply, getting himself under control. “You shouldn’t speak to me like that, Jamie. You must behave,” he said more calmly, that overly familiar tone back in his voice. “But soon, you will,” James heard his footsteps recede slightly as he returned to the potions work-table, then became louder as the man returned to him. 

“And now, the final stage,” James heard the quiver of excitement in the man’s voice, felt his stomach turn at the sound, “just one touch, and in twelve hours you’ll be ready, _so_ ready for our ―”

“ _Expelliarmus_!”

James heard the sound of the door crashing open, the clatter of the man’s wand as it hit the floor. 

“Ha!” James croaked a laugh, and then coughed unpleasantly, as the man began to scream at the three Auror’s entering the room. 

“No, you’re ruining it! You’re _ruining_ it―”

“Wands up! Renholm, Disarm him, Lupin, see to Potter!”

“― You’re ruining _everything_! Don’t touch him, he’s mi ― don’t _touch_ him!” 

There was another crash, a flash of silvery light and the sound of boots scuffling along the dirty wooden floor. Internally, James crowed in triumph as the man screamed in frustration again, his potions equipment spilling onto the floor. Externally, though, all James managed to do was moan. Fuck, this potion was making him woozy, was making his limbs feel heavy and… _wrong_ somehow. 

“Cram a sock in it, you shrieky bastard! What the hell is all this gear for ― Carmichael, send in to Pritchards at The Ministry, we’re gonna need the Potions Analysis mob on this.” 

James felt hands on his shoulders, the soft slide of magic washing over him. Familiar magic. It was cool and soft, and James sighed in relief as the ropes around his wrists and ankles began to ease. He felt the blood rush back to his limbs, his fingers tingling unpleasantly ― or perhaps that was the potion. He felt beyond weird. 

“Alright, James?” Teddy whispered. “Got yourself into trouble again, huh? Never mind, I’m here.” 

“S’about time, Ted. Was almost worried,” James mumbled, the room spinning faster and beginning to blur. He startled slightly, then sighed as a comforting, tingling sensation began to emanate from the palm of Teddy’s hand, warm and firm on the bare skin of James’s neck. 

“S’alright, Jamie, I got you.” 

James nodded absently, his eyelids drooping shut as everything faded to an overwhelming black.

“I got you.”

-*-


	2. Tightrope Walkers

-*-

_“I’m just not sure how much we should tell him right now, Magnus.”_

_“Everything, young man. We need to fully disclose his condition.”_

_“But he might ―”_

_“You cannot protect him from this, he needs to understand what has been done to him and what will happen next.”_

James groaned, his head aching and his body sore. He felt hot, stifled, as if he was being smothered by the air around him. Even with his eyes closed the room seemed too bright. He moved his arms, then rotated his ankles as well, sighing in overwhelming relief to find them unbound; Merlin, that felt good after spending what felt like hours stuck in that wanker’s chair. Although, James realised with a wince, he did not feel well at all. His body felt heavy, his thoughts sluggish and his stomach curiously warm and unsettled. He tried to lay as still as he could, listening half-heartedly to the voices of those whispering around him, but barely registering what they were saying. 

_“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Scorp, no matter what Magnus says. I think I outrank him here anyway.”_

_“Al, you're nineteen, you barely outrank the cleaners here ―”_

_“Yeah, but I know James! His body is already in shock from being dosed, and I can’t give him anything in case it reacts with the potion. Why can’t we leave the awful stuff out for a little bit longer? I don’t think he’s going to take it ver―”_

_“Al, he’ll be fine. Plus he’s going to figure it out as soon as he lifts his wand, and then he’s **definitely** going to freak out.”_

James breathed in deeply, then out again. Around him, he could hear the movement and hushed tones of three or four other individuals, and he could smell the sterile cleanliness of the room around him. Lime, pine, soap ― the aroma of vigorous cleaning spells ― and underneath that, the blandness of the linoleum floor. He breathed in again, his brow creasing slightly. There were three people in the room with him, and one in the hallway. Omega, on his left: fertile, but claimed. Beta on his right: fertile, and...James wrinkled his brow further. Marked, but unclaimed, it seemed. There was an Alpha at the foot of the bed, whispering fervently with the Beta ― protective, kind, familiar, James sensed, and then there was another, one more person….an Alpha, James thought, unclaimed and standing in the hallway. That scent was...James made a faint sound, stirring under the sheets of the bed. That scent was almost overwhelming in its familiarity, in it’s warmth. Even from this distance it made James want to ― 

James sat upright with a start, his head spinning as the sheets pooled around his hips. 

_Why the fuck could he sense any of that?_

“Ah, you’re awake!” 

James turned to his right to see Scorpius Malfoy, beaming as he stopped talking with ― 

“Albus?” James croaked, his voice rough from disuse. He looked at the windows of the hospital room, then shut his eyes against the glare. Merlin, why was everything so bright? It was still light, though, which was good. That meant it was only late afternoon. He’d been out for a few hours, then, but hopefully not any longer. 

“It’s Healer Potter to you, patient 331,” Albus said with a smile, and James realised that his brother was the first Alpha he could sense before. “And try not to sit up like that, you’ll have another head spin, I expect.” He gently pushed James back, propping a stiff white pillow up behind him so he could sit semi-upright. 

“Another?” James asked. 

“Oh, yes,” Albus replied bringing James a glass of water.

“You were a bit like a drunk giselle when they first got you here,” Scorpius supplied helpfully. He wobbled on the spot in a brief impression, before folding his hands across his chest and smiling that broad and welcoming smile James had been seeing since his brother started school. James breathed in carefully: _Beta_. That’s who that was, he knew, somehow. Another spike of panic ran through him at _why_ he could possibly know that, but he squashed it down. _You always knew that, that’s your brother and his best mate, calm down_ , he tried to tell himself frantically, focussing on Scorpius’s white blond hair, and his black Potioneer’s uniform. James frowned. 

“Why are you here?”

“Ah, well ―” Scorpius started, expression excited, but he was cut off by the sound of someone sharply clearing their throat. 

“Mr Potter.”

James turned to see a smartly dressed Healer to his right, with close cropped grey hair and sharp brown eyes. Omega, James knew, but couldn't have said why if his life had depended on it. Apprehension began to settle more solidly in the pit of his stomach. He should not have been able to tell that, should not have known this man’s presentation any more than he should be able to know what a Beta smelled like, or know that this particular Beta had had sex, had been marked, as recently as last night, and with...James whipped his head back around to his brother. His mouth dropped open as he looked from his brother’s faintly confused expression, to Scorpius, who was now flipping through a thick set of parchment notes. 

“Oh my god,” James whispered, shutting his eyes as his head began to ache again, the strange warm feeling in his stomach still making him feel woozy and off-centre. _Those_ two? How long had they been...and how the hell was James able to _tell_ that they had been ― 

“Mr Potter?” 

James turned back to the stern-looking omega, who had apparently been talking to him. The man raised one brow at James’s blank expression. 

“Um. Sorry. What were you ―”

“I was saying,” the man stood a little straighter, his expression softening, “that I expect you are quite overwhelmed by what is going on here.”

James stared back blankly. He nodded. Overwhelmed wasn’t the half of it. He was confused, sore, bewildered by why he could sense such intimate things about the people around him. The stern-looking Healer smiled in a manner James assumed was meant to be comforting, as he pulled a chart from the foot of James’s bed. 

“Yeah, you could say that. I would very much like to understand what is going on here,” James affirmed, his stomach doing an uneasy flip about what the Healer would say to that ― and then again as he sensed the Alpha in the hallway talking to…

James felt a strange surge of emotion twine up his spine and onto the tops of his shoulders. The Alpha was talking to another Omega: fertile, unclaimed, and...something else. An overpowering scent that James couldn't quite place was coming from this Omega. It was alluring, yet repelling; it reminded James of the time he had stuck his face too close to a sweet-smelling flower and ended up with a nose full of perfumed pollen. He didn’t like it, he didn’t want to be near it, and...he didn’t want it to be near the hallway Alpha. 

James made a face, recoiling in his bed, as he tried not to dwell on why he felt so uncomfortable by this Omega’s presence, why he didn’t like that they were standing near the Alpha in the hallway. James swallowed thickly as he clenched his fists in the sheets, trying to sit up as he nodded along to what Stern Omega Healer was saying to him. He needed to focus, to try and block out this strange sensory deluge, to understand what was going on and what that bastard with the potions kit had done to him. 

“― we’ve identified that the potion the suspect gave you simulates the attributes and traits of an Omega, up to and potentially including a heat cycle, so far as we can see ―”

James nodded again, listening as well as he could as he tried to control his clamouring heart. Traits of an Omega. Heat cycles. Suspect. _Omega in the hallway, attraction rolling off them as they’re stepping closer to the Alpha, close enough to touch_. James swallowed thickly. 

“― we understand from the suspect’s notes,” the Stern Omega Healer gestured at the thick set of parchments in Scorpius’s hands, “which Potioneer Malfoy has been evaluating for us, that the aim was to simulate these traits in order to facilitate what they deemed as the only ‘valid’ form of claim or bond ― that which is between an Omega and an Alpha. Because everything else is just chopped liver, apparently.” The Healer's’ voice dripped with scorn; Albus scoffed derisively too. “Regardless, these were the suspect’s intentions, to enable this bond between himself and you, through the forced ingestion of the potion.” The Healer cleared his throat, looking back to the chart. “Which appears to carry significant side effects…” 

James nodded again, still listening with half an ear and staring at the door, tensing as he sensed the hallway Omega step even closer to the Alpha. He began to sense something coming from the Alpha in return, but something very different to the signals the Omega was sending out. Something like ― 

As quickly as it came, it was gone. James breathed out, tension leaving him as the overpowering scent of the Omega in the hallway faded and then slipped away completely, leaving only the curiously familiar scent of the Alpha, now alone again and standing just outside James’s room. James relaxed back into the pillows, finally able to concentrate now that the threatening scent had gone, his heartbeat slowing again to something more normal ― until the Healer’s words filtered into his brain. 

The other Omega’s threatening scent. _Scent_. James couldn't pick those up, he was an Absent, he couldn't...he’d never been able to ― 

James blinked, looking at his brother, who smiled wanly back at him, then over again at the grey-haired Healer. 

“I can scent you,” he said, realising belatedly that that was a rather forward thing to say to someone you barely knew; a scent was deeply personal, he remembered from those classes back at Hogwarts, unique to an individual and not something which should be brought up in _polite conversation_. James didn’t care though; he wasn’t great at polite at the best of times anyway, and right now he was too panicked by this information to regulate what he said. “And you,” he said turning back to Albus. “Why can I, I shouldn’t be able to do that, I’m ―”

“An Absent Presentation, yes. It’s in your charts. But you are also currently under the influence of a very strong, very dark, and very much illegally administered potion, which is currently enabling you to…” the grey-haired Healer looked as though he was weighing his next words. “Present in full. As an Omega,” he finished flatly, apparently not finding a better way to say it.

“Fuck!” 

“Indeed.”

“Bloody hell, don’t sugar coat it will you, Magnus?” Albus said witheringly, trying to push James back down into the pillow, and shooting a glare at the older Healer. “Don’t panic, James. My mate here just hasn’t got the best bedside manner, that’s all,” he finished tersely, speaking to James. 

“ _Junior_ Healer Potter ―”

“It’s Albus, drop the official crap. This is my brother,” Albus said sternly, hands on his hips. The older Healer sighed, holding one hand up placatingly. 

“Brother or not,” he continued in a gentler voice as he looked back down at James, who was trying his best not to hyperventilate. Images of the cherry-red potion came back to him, as it was tipped down his throat. _Omega. He was an Omega. That man had turned him into an_ ― “This is very serious,” Magnus continued. “The potion you were given has never been encountered before. The Aurors were able to commandeer the suspect's notes, however the suspect himself remains at large ―”

“What, how?” James exclaimed, sitting up and knocking his pillow off the bed, then growling and swatting Albus away as he tried to stuff it back under James. Albus gave up, pouring James another glass of water and shoving it at James’s chest instead. 

“I can sit up, Albus, bloody hell, stop _nursing_ me” ― Albus scoffed at that, gesturing pointedly at the Healer logo on his uniform; James ignored him ― “what do you mean at large, they got him ―” James inhaled sharply. “Oh my god, Teddy. Is Teddy okay?” he managed to say around the mouthful of cold fear that surged up his throat. “He was there, when they got, and the guy, if he got away then ―”

“Who?” Magnus asked, but Albus waved him off, putting his hand on James’s forehead. 

“My _partner_!” James all but yelled, trying to pull his head away from his brother’s hand and feeling borderline hysterical, the idea of not knowing if Teddy was well somehow suffocating in its intensity. 

“Ted’s fine, James, no one was injured. The suspect ― shit, what did the guy who brought you in say?” Albus scrunched his face up as he tried to recall. “He said they _‘failed to successfully apprehend the kidnapper but that there were minimal to no injuries to anyone involved’_. Err, well except you. Teddy is fine though, he’s...fine,” Albus finished, removing his hand after having discreetly taken James’s temperature. 

James suspected there was something Albus wasn’t telling him, but he was too overwhelmed by relief to give it much notice. Albus wouldn’t lie to him; Teddy really was fine. The suspect was still at large ― ‘ _failure to apprehend’_ , that was Auror jargon for _’we stuffed up and the guy did a runner’ _, James thought angrily ― but Teddy was fine. Outside the room, James felt strangely as though the Alpha had stepped closer, as though that comforting scent had gotten stronger. He breathed in deeply, counting to three and clinging on to the tendrils of the feeling of comfort and security it gave him. He breathed out again, opening his eyes and trying to get himself under control. He needed to understand this. He couldn’t panic.__

__“Okay. Okay. Traits of an Omega, you said,” James repeated as evenly as he could. “Does that mean I’m..” he trailed off, heart in his throat. He waved his head from side to side, feeling the tips of his ears turning red. _Oh bloody hell_. James tried to ignore it. “M’gonnahav’aheat?” he mumbled, unable to form a proper sentence. _ _

__“We can’t know for sure, Jamie ―”_ _

__“I believe so, yes ―”_ _

__Both Albus and Magnus answered at the same time, and James nodded, his stomach lurching as he tried to process what they’d said. He was an Omega. He was potentially going to have a heat. He might be fertile. He could _mate_ , he thought, an almost giddy feeling tumbling inside him at that thought. He could be claimed, could bon ― _ _

__Reality crashed into James, extinguishing the tiny ember of joy he felt at those words. An Alpha and Omega bond; that was the entire point. This wasn’t some miracle, his body finally presenting the way he’d always wished it would. This was some unhinged arsehole, forcing something noxious down his throat with the intention of binding James to him against his will, in order to play happy families with his dad. This wasn't a gift, even if it was something he’d always wanted. James smiled wryly. Of course it bloody wasn’t. He sighed loudly._ _

__“And you said side effects?” he asked, his voice dull._ _

__Magnus pursed his lips, looking over at Scorpius and Albus, then back to his chart. Finally, he looked back up at James, his eyes sympathetic yet determined._ _

__“Yes. Significant ones.” He inclined his head towards Scorpius. “I believe Potioneer Malfoy would be best equipped to explain this.”_ _

__“Hmm? Oh! Yes.” Scorpius stepped forward, looking up from the notes he had been engrossed in. James realised they were vaguely familiar, as he recognised them from the smiling man’s house. He fought the urge to groan. Anything from those pages was not going to be good news. Scorpius pushed his glasses further up his nose._ _

__“Well, this is definitely not something we’ve encountered before in the lab, but there’ve been people making potions of the same calibre, for,” Scorpius blew out gently, “well, since forever. The basic premise is not dissimilar to some of the nastier love potions out there. Well, they call them _love_ potions,” Scorpius smiled wryly. “They’re more about control. This one is designed to simulate the effects of being an Omega, in order to allow the administrator to claim you, as it were, to make a bond that they see as pure and...well, he goes on about it at length in here. I gather he might have mentioned it in person as well?”_ _

__“Yeah, wouldn't shut up about it,” James mumbled angrily, rubbing his temple. Scorpius nodded back, his lip quirked wryly. Beside James, Albus sat down on the bed. James flicked his eyes to his brother, then back to Scorpius. He frowned. Whatever was coming next was definitely not going to be good, if Albus was pre-emptively getting into comfort-and-or-restrain-James mode._ _

__“So, in order to do that, it appears the potion needs to drain a significant amount of energy from your body, and channel that into the presentation. A significant amount of energy which it is taking from…” Scorpius paused, looking at Albus, then the other Healer. He swallowed. “From your magic.”_ _

__James blinked. He opened his mouth, and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Scorpius licked his lips nervously before continuing._ _

__“We’re not entirely sure how it’s doing it yet, but currently it appears that all magical ability has been completely suppressed in lieu of, well. The symptoms of the presentation.”_ _

__James looked down at his hands, his mouth still half-open. He moved his fingers, blinking rapidly as he looked from one thumb to the next, to his index fingers, his wrists. “Completely suppressed,” he repeated hoarsely._ _

__“Yeah,” Scorpius said apologetically. “We think it was essentially to make sure that the potion had enough magical force to successfully make the physical changes to you, and...well, at the same time would render you…” Scorpius’s mouth twisted. “Less able to put up a fight with the second stage of his plan.”_ _

__James heard Healer Magus snort derisively at this, felt Albus tense and shake his head angrily._ _

__“That...” James said quietly, blinking his eyes rapidly as he found angry tears welling up in them. “That _bastard_!” he repeated vehemently. Magnus nodded in forceful agreement, and James turned his wet eyes over to him. “Why the hell would someone _do_ that?” James hissed into the room. Magnus smiled back humourlessly. _ _

__“Because some people can’t see the difference between love and possession, the difference between what they can take and what they can be given.” He leant forward. “They will catch this man, this _Alpha_ ,” he almost spat the word, and James felt that perhaps Magnus wasn’t only talking on behalf of James here, “and there will be a way to undo what this potion has done.” _ _

__Behind him, Scorpius nodded fervently._ _

__“Yes, there will! I’ll figure out a way to undo this. People are on it now, in the lab, and I’ll be heading back there as well. I just wanted to stay here and make sure you were alright, and...tell you myself,” he finished earnestly, softly. “There’ll be a way to reverse it, I’m sure there will; we haven’t seen this potion before, but we’ve seen those which are similar, are created for similar purposes. And we've got his notes, his lab. We’ll figure it out,” he said with conviction. “Just, in the meantime….” Scorpius trailed off, and James nodded again, furiously glaring at his useless hands sitting in his useless lap._ _

__“No magic,” he finished for Scorpius. “I have no magic.”_ _

__“Just in the meantime.” Scorpius sighed apologetically, then looked back at Magnus. “Um. And there is...something else, really. That the potion does. Or did, it seems.” He turned nervous eyes to Albus._ _

__James looked up at him wearily. “Merlin, what else could there possibly be, isn’t this enough? Am I going to turn into a pumpkin if I don’t get married by midnight or something?” he complained._ _

__Beside him Albus laughed, covering it with a cough when he saw James turn to him._ _

__“Sorry, s’just. Nice to hear you’re still you,” said Albus, patting James on the knee. James smiled weakly._ _

__“Yeah, well. You’re paying for the dress,” he replied and Albus laughed again, relief evident in this voice. James wished he could feel relieved by any of this._ _

__Nothing made any sense, and he had no magic. He was an Omega, as the scents in the room kept reminding him, but he was also now as good as a Squib. He finally had what he’d wanted since he was thirteen years old, but had lost what he’d been born with ― his magic. He might as well have lost all his limbs, his eyesight, his tongue. He couldn't _be_ without magic. _ _

__“No, happily there’s no pumpkin-marriage clause,” Scorpius tried to joke. “But, uh, there is...another element in the potion,” Scorpius said gently, stepping closer. “Which appears to be a deviated form of a binding potion, again from,” Scorpius sighed, “the more insidious types of love potions we come across. It’s designed to force an extreme attachment from you towards the, well, the first Alpha to have physical contact with you. Skin to skin contact, that is.” Scorpius pushed his glasses back up nose again, a nervous habit James was used to._ _

__James looked up slowly through his fringe, the colour draining from his face. “Hang on….binding attachment? What the hell does that mean, what is that?”_ _

__Scorpius inclined his head, his white-blond hair swinging over one lens of his glasses. He flicked it away; James watched as it fell right back._ _

__“Yes, it’s, well I believe it was in order to, again, have more cont―,” Scorpius broke off apologetically, looking ruefully at James before he continued, “sorry James, to have more control over you, to make you need to stay in the vicinity of whoever touched you. It’s based around proximity, physically binding you to a certain parameter around the person who wishes to contain you. Nasty things, really, these Attachment Spells. They wanted to use them on prisoners, back in the day, to attach them to the walls of their cells, but they’re far too finicky, too temperamental, and what if there’s a fire?” Scorpius looked at them, holding his hands up in wonder at the idiocy of even suggesting it, then clearing his throat and bashfully returning to the topic at hand. “But that’s neither here nor there. As I was saying, we’re not sure at this stage if there will be, well, other effects of this particular attachment but we have ascertained that distance will cause you considerable distress.” Scorpius flicked his eyes to the doorway leading out into the hall. “So, um, you’ll have to...stay near the, um. Near...” Scorpius swallowed. He broke off looking at Albus imploringly. James felt his brother shrug back, his shoulder resting against James’s. The room became uncomfortably quiet._ _

__An Attachment Spell. _“Just one touch...”_ the man had said. James felt his belly clench, as he remembered the way the man had leant over him, his fingers inches from James’s neck. He couldn't keep the sneer from his face. What better way to make sure James would be nearby to facilitate this bond horseshit he kept talking about, than to physically force him to stay by his side. James’s mouth twisted as he realised what the kidnapper’s next moves were clearly going to be; there was only way to claim, to create this bond, as it sure as hell wasn’t something James was going to be _willing_ to do. _ _

__Luckily, the bastard hadn’t touched James, hadn’t gotten close enough; he’d been interrupted, forced to stop by the Aurors. James felt an overwhelming surge of gratefulness that his team had arrived when they had, that Teddy had been there to ―_ _

__James felt his heart stop, felt it drop into his stomach as he closed his eyes and placed his hands over his face. No, the kidnapper hadn’t touched James, but someone had. An Alpha. James breathed in shakily, the scent of the Alpha standing just outside his room, standing guard, overwhelming again in its familiarity. In it’s _comfort_. It made James think of lying on the grass out the back of his parents house when he was a teenager, of licking honey off his fingers as he sat in a cottage garden, of an arm around his shoulders as he walked away from Friday night drinks ― of a deep voice laughing warmly as they held their cloak over James’s head to shield him from the worst of the rain. _ _

__“Albus,” James swallowed, his throat suddenly dry and scratchy. “Who is in the hallway?” he asked, already knowing the answer. He didn’t lift his head as he heard the doorknob click, heard the creak of the door opening. The scent didn’t so much get stronger, but clearer as the man stepped inside._ _

__“Hey, kid,” Teddy said quietly as he stepped into the room, his smile friendly yet hesitant. “Guess you’re kipping at mine for a bit.”_ _

__James let his head slip lower in his hands, groaning loudly._ _

___Oh, fuck_. _ _

____

-*-

Thirty-four Somersby Road was a relatively nondescript, if not ramshackle, house in a small yet well-to-do Muggle town just outside of Kent. It was what an estate agent might call _quaint_ , with hidden charms that weren’t perhaps visible from first glance ― or indeed, sometimes not on the second or third either. It’s roof had been patched many times, and the front and back gardens were not exactly chaotic, however many of the plants had been lovingly left to do as they pleased. Hollyhocks higher than the front windows swayed in the evening’s breeze, early jasmine blooms perfuming the air.

Teddy Lupin kicked his front door. “Why is this sodding thing always _stuck_.” 

He shifted the bags of food into one hand, flicking his deep-blue hair off of his face with two fingers and leaning his weight against the solid oak. 

“Well, on the plus side,” Teddy pushed his shoulder against the aging wood of the cottage door, “at least this way I can keep an eye on you while that tosser’s still on the loose.” He heaved again, finally pushing the door open in a loud scrape of wood on slate. 

Behind him, James pulled his cloak around him a little tighter; this early into spring, the nights could still be bitter. 

“I don’t need to be kept an eye on,” he grumbled, but his heart wasn’t in it. It had been a long day; his legs ached, his stomach still wouldn’t settle, and he felt constantly dizzy and disorientated by the barrage of scents around him. He stepped into Teddy’s familiar front room, walking past Teddy as he set up the complicated system of wards he kept his house under. James felt the shiver of Teddy’s magic washing over him, and swallowed thickly. He could feel his own wand solid in his pocket. _Useless, now_ , he reminded himself. He pulled his cloak higher up his neck. 

After being discharged from St Mungo’s and released into Teddy’s _‘protective care’_ ― in order to stay in his physical proximity, James was unhappily aware ― James had been debriefed quickly on the situation as it stood. Captain Pritchards was a stern man, direct and to the point, and the briefing was, for once in James’s life as an Auror, actually very brief. The suspect was not on record with the Aurors, but they had a name for him at least ― Marion Collins. James felt that name was oddly fitting for the sandy-haired, mild looking man who’d apparently stalked him and then tied him to a chair; it was bland and awful, like Marion himself. It didn’t make James feel any better to know this person had a name, but it did help appease some of his anger towards the situation; at least this meant the Aurors were going to have more success in tracking him down. 

As for how Marion had eluded capture, James still wasn’t clear on that, but judging by Pritchard’s clenched jaw and Teddy’s unhappy snort, it had something to do with Renholm failing to put the appropriate Anti-Disapparation Charms on him. Marion Collins had simply spun on his heel and _pop_! He’d completely evaded capture. _Fucking bang up job, Renholm_ , James had thought acidly, his hands clenched into fists. The stony expression on Teddy’s face had indicated that he’d felt pretty much the same. 

As for James’s father ― well, as Head Auror James knew Harry would be giving Renholm at least a month on desk-duty, if he was lucky. As James’s dad, Harry had been...furious. Furious that the response had taken so long to get to James, furious that the kidnapper had been allowed to escape, and mostly furious at himself for not having been there. James had been surprised, though, at the overwhelming feeling of protection, of love ― of fear that his son had been hurt ― he felt radiating from his father as he hugged him, almost tight enough to hurt, before he left to continue organising the search-team looking for Collins. 

From there, Pritchards explained that while the manhunt for Collins was still in action, James would need to lay low, and given that he couldn't physically stray from Teddy’s side, they were assigning Teddy as something like a twenty four hour bodyguard. James could barely even muster the energy to be irritated about needing to be babysat, which caused Teddy to frown and step a little closer. Scorpius and his lab had estimated they would need a minimum of a few days, although Scorpius was confident it would be less, hours to create a working antidote and in the meantime he was a sitting duck ― one which needed to be wrapped in cotton wool, and hidden, apparently. 

James had nodded along, said the right things in the appropriate pauses, but it was clear to everyone there that he was only partly in the room. They’d wrapped up proceedings quickly, leaving Teddy and James alone in the beige briefing room. 

Leaving Teddy to take James back to his house, to keep him safe, James thought as he watched Teddy reset the wards, whether Teddy wanted to or not. James couldn't help the sinking feeling inside him at that. Teddy was his friend, his godbrother, his partner; James trusted him with his life, and knew Teddy would move heaven and earth to keep him safe. If there was anyone James would have wanted to be attached to in this way, it was Teddy ― and therein lay the issue. James didn’t trust himself around Teddy at the best of times, didn’t trust himself not to accidentally reveal too much and ruin everything between them. 

It was like walking a tightrope; he was close with Teddy, as genuine with him as he could be, but he was careful to always hold enough back that Teddy would never know how deep his feelings truly ran. Right now, though, James felt like someone had grabbed that rope with both hands and shaken it as hard as they could; he felt dangerously close to losing balance, to falling off one way or another and revealing too much. 

He watched Teddy flick his hair off his face, tuck it behind an ear, then shut one eye as he concentrated. It was a quirk of Teddy’s, one James made sure to make fun of as often as he could. Like the way he pursed his lips when he was thinking, or the way his hair changed colours if you startled him. 

James felt the tightrope wobbling beneath his feet; he knew he would lose everything they had if he slipped ― if Teddy figured out James wanted him as more than his friend, his partner, his godbrother. 

Teddy turned back to James, waving a grocery bag at him. 

“Come on then. Dinner?”

James followed Teddy into the kitchen, shrugging noncommittally. “Not really hungry, to be honest.” Teddy looked back at him over his shoulder. 

“Sure you are. Gotta eat.” He smiled, beginning to unpack the bags. “And your mum went to so much effort packing all your favourites, like…” he looked at a tin in his hand. “Pickled plums, and,” he picked up another, “radish soup?” He turned to James, his expression questioning. James huffed a small laugh, rubbing two fingers over one tired eye. He pushed his hair back off of his forehead. 

“I suspect Luna might have helped pack these, actually.” He inclined his head towards the bags. “There’ll be something edible in there, if you keep digging.”

Teddy nodded contemplatively, returning to the bags. James leant his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. 

He wasn’t hungry. Now that his anger and indignation was ebbing away, he just felt numb, the reality somewhat sinking in. He was off duty, indefinitely, until this could be sorted ― until he could cast again. His body ached, his head throbbed, and he wanted to go home to his own bed, but he couldn't, because some nutter with a potions kit wanted to bind James to him and claim him as the ultimate fan letter to his dad. As for what that potion had done to him, he was doing his best not to think about it; the new sensations and senses it had brought him were more than distracting, as was the growing discomfort he felt in his belly. He’d mentioned it to Albus before he’d been discharged and been given some mild pain potions, but his brother had been reluctant to give him anything more. 

“We don't know anything will react with the potion he gave you,” had been Albus’s, admittedly pretty sound, reasoning. “It’s already had a somewhat drastic effect.” Albus had made a face. 

“And you know, I think it’s worth...well, look, Magnus reckons you might have a heat, but I don’t know, I’m not convinced.” Albus had sighed heavily as James tucked the potions into his pocket while Albus continued. “But he’s right, it could happen though, so just. Be on alert for any signs of that, and let me know ASAP so I can help you out, yeah?” Albus had looked uncomfortable. “I’ve never had one, but they’re...intense, James, and you might not...have a lot of control over the things it makes you want to do, _need_ to do, really. So if you feel anything strange, you contact me, yeah?”

James had just shaken his head wryly, squashing down all thoughts of a heat, of what it might make him want to do. 

“Yeah, if I feel anything _strange_ ― like I could even tell what that the fuck that would be at this point, Ally,” he'd complained, but he’d promised Albus he’d let him know all the same. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Albus had said as James’d prepared to leave. James had just sighed and ruffled his little brother’s hair. 

“Never better,” he’d lied to Albus’s unconvinced face. He was unable to resist adding, “say goodbye to you boyfriend for me, yeah?”, smiling cheekily despite himself as Albus had gaped at his retreating back. 

“Oi, how’d you know about that?!”

Which, now he thought of it, was something James had been meaning to bring up with Teddy. 

“I don’t understand how Omegas even function, how anyone functions, will all these scents,” James griped. Teddy smiled, his brow creased in slight bemusement. 

“How d’you mean?” 

“With the…,” James waved his hand, “everyone, I mean it’s coming from _everyone_. You, dad, the bloke in the lobby! And knowing who is fertile or not, if they’ve been claimed, it’s so personal.” James shook his head as he recalled Albus and Scorpius in the hospital room. “And I mean, knowing stuff like who’s been shagging who, doesn’t that...drive you nuts?” he finished. Teddy frowned harder, putting down the two packets of pasta in his hands then staring at James. 

“You can tell who’s been sleeping with who?” he asked. James shrugged. 

“Yeah, at the hospital, Albus and...well, never mind.” James shifted; Alpha and Beta relationships weren't unheard of, but they were seen as somewhat unusual. He wasn’t sure it was his place to out the two of them, if Teddy somehow hadn’t picked it up. “D’you just block it out, is there a way to do that?” he asked imploringly. If he was stuck like this for the next forty eight hours, or Merlin forbid longer, then James really didn’t want to spend the whole time accidentally reading people’s metaphorical diaries about who they’d taken home the night before ― especially family members. He’d always wanted to be able to scent, to know what it was like, but he was surprised to find out that it was...so _distracting_ , more than anything else. 

Teddy shook his head at him slowly. “No, I don’t block it out. I can’t pick that kind of stuff up, fertility and claims. Most people can’t pick that up, unless…” Teddy licked his lips, stepping closer. “Well, Vic used to.” The corner of Teddy’s mouth lifted as he smiled slightly. “She used to complain about it a lot, actually, but it only ever happened right before...” Teddy swallowed. “James, did they say anything to you about a heat?” Teddy asked in a low voice. 

James took a step sideways, his mind racing.

“No,” he lied. “No, they said... it’s not that.” He shook his head, remembering what Albus had said to him earlier. _If you notice anything strange, tell me_. Did this count? Teddy was looking at him like maybe it did. 

“I’ll mention it to Al tomorrow, though.” James shrugged, tucking his chin against his chest. “Probably just Creepy Collins fucking up the dosage, though, I reckon,” he joked, determined to steer the subject onto something less worrying. He didn’t have the energy to worry about things like heats, nor the tingle in his chest which the thought of having one brought ― or the jealousy that was nestled right next to it at the reminder of Teddy’s ex, Victoire. 

That feeling wasn’t new, at least. Teddy and Victoire had dated for about five years, and had now been broken up for even longer, but James still felt a pang of jealousy every time he thought of the two of them together. They made such a striking pair ― him with his soft blue hair, broad shoulders, one arm around her shoulders, and her with her hourglass figure, her beautiful, vibrant laugh and the freckles cascading down her pale shoulders. They were like something out of a magazine, an Alpha and Omega dream couple. James liked his cousin ― she was gregarious, fun, had a wicked sense of humour ― but she was always a painful reminder that _that_ was the kind of person Teddy should be with. Confident, not just on the outside like James, and above all, an Omega. It didn’t matter that it hadn’t worked out between them; as far as James was concerned, and as far as Teddy had indicated to him, he was just waiting for someone else like Vic to come along. Not someone like James. 

Teddy nodded slowly, eyes searching James’s face. As if sensing something had shifted in James’s mood ― or able to literally sense it, for all James understood about how this worked ― he didn’t press James on it. 

“Yeah, okay. First thing tomorrow, we’ll go check that out. I’m sure it’s fine,” he said quietly, albeit somewhat reluctantly. He pursed his lips. “In the meantime though, just,” Teddy gestured at his own face, “stick your fingers up your nose.”

James barked a surprised laugh, then stared at Teddy’s serious expression. “Does that...would that help?” he asked incredulously, relieved Teddy wasn’t going to make him go back to the hospital right now. The corners of Teddy’s mouth turned down as he fought his smile, starting to unpack the care package of food once more. 

“Oh, no, won’t help in the slightest, but I’d get a kick out of it.” He smiled outright as James rolled his eyes, walking up to Teddy and grabbing an apple out of his hands. 

“You’re a fucking comedian, Ted,” James shot back at him, taking a large bite, and trying to ignore the flutter of butterflies in his stomach at the way Teddy’s broad smile made him feel. Again, the feeling was familiar; he’d felt that one for years now. It had always brought him distress before, but amongst all these new emotions and senses, with Teddy’s scent swirling around him, it was close to the most normal thing James had felt all day. 

“Stick to your day job, will you?” he said with a smile, turning towards Teddy’s kitchens cupboards. He felt Teddy stand alongside him, bumping his shoulder against James’s own. James bumped back, grinning now, as Teddy began to take out pans, shooting James fond glances as he began to get things ready for dinner.

-*-

“So, this is the guest room,” Teddy said, with a sweeping gesture. “It’s quite open and tidy, as you will observe, and excellently warded, as you may appreciate. It boasts a generous view of the chicken pen out back, and to your left you can see the beehive, which are just some of the many attractions chateau de Lupin boasts.”

James smiled as he followed Teddy into the room. “I’ve been here before, Ted. I’ve seen all the attractions your house boasts, and the chickens are not one of them,” he added with a raise of his brow. Teddy gave him a look. 

“They are, it’s just you don’t get along with the hens.”

“No, your hens fucking hate me, is what it is,” James shot back. 

“They’re just jealous,” Teddy said fondly, opening the wardrobe and pulling out some extra pillows and blankets. James snorted. 

“Why, because I have opposable thumbs and thus access to all the worms outside of their pen?” James joked. 

“‘Cos I like you more than I like them,” Teddy replied easily, his expression sincere and open, James paused, feeling his face flush, as he leant against the doorway. He looked at his feet, then over at the wardrobe in the corner, clearing his throat and willing himself not to blush as Teddy stared at him. 

“Yeah, well,” he coughed into his fist, “that’s a pretty low bar, Ted. Hopefully most of my mates like me more than chickens.” 

Teddy laughed gently, still fussing with the extra blankets, his long fingers smoothing them out. He’d taken to wearing his hair short at the moment, clipped at the back but still long enough to push away from his face. It had a wave to it, almost a curl, and as James watched it fell forwards, indigo strands tickling at his check, resting against his cheekbone. Teddy flicked it away, catching James’s eye and smiling. James looked at the floor, cursing under his breath; he was definitely going red, now. He rubbed the back of his neck, then absent-mindedly grabbed his wand, casting a quick Heating Charm when he realised Teddy was worried about him being cold overnight. 

Nothing happened. James looked down at his hand, at the wand he held in it, as Teddy straightened up and did the same.

He’d forgotten, briefly, about the potion, about the side-effects, about everything. After an evening of normalcy, of eating pasta and joking, of being warm and comfortable and distracted by the way Teddy’s eyes creased when he laughed, James had forgotten all about this. 

He’d forgotten he had no magic. 

“James...” Teddy said, coming around the bed to stand in front of him. 

“You know the funny thing is, I always wanted to be an Omega,” James blurted, miserable and uncomfortable and too tired to keep it in anymore. “This is like...some kind of ‘ _be careful what you wish for_ ’ shit, huh?” he laughed, too high and loudly for it to be genuine. “I finally got it, but I can’t even,” James waved his wand uselessly, not even a spark coming out it, “I can’t even cast a fucking Heating Charm!”

“Hey, woah.” Teddy stepped closer, and James swallowed thickly, looking down and not wanting to see the pity on Teddy’s face. A little voice in his head sadly reminded him that having Teddy this close to him was another thing he’d always wanted. _Be careful what you wish for_ , he thought bitterly, staring at his shoes. 

“They’ll fix this, James.” Teddy put his hands on James’s shoulders, ran them down to his elbows. “They’ll find a way to cancel this out, get your magic working again, and you’ll be back to normal.”

James scoffed. _Normal_. Bar the magic suppression, this was the first time James had ever been something close to normal in his adult life. He was presenting. He was an Omega. Normal for James was abnormal. He cringed, rubbing the back of his hand over his forehead. This was all too much for him; his head was killing him. He made a soft sound, as the inevitable comfort of Teddy’s scent, the way it made him think of freshly cut grass, of mint crushed between his fingers, of burying his face into sheets fresh off the laundry line, enveloped him. He sighed, letting it wash over him, soothe him, too tired to resist the small comfort it brought. 

“Are you doing that on purpose?” he asked after a moment. Teddy frowned slightly. “The thing where...where you smell nice,” James explained quietly. “Where it makes me feel better.”

“Oh…” Teddy pulled back, shaking his head, just the slightest movement. “No, I don’t think I have any control over that, Jamie. That’s just...” he trailed off, the ‘me’ left unsaid at the end of his sentence. James heard it loud and clear all the same. _That’s just me_. 

James grimaced, shutting his eyes and groaning. “Oh, lovely. Well, that’s just even more mortifying then, isn’t it?” He made as if to pull away, embarrassment surging through him at accidentally revealing that Teddy’s scent comforted him, at exposing himself so easily. 

“Hey, don’t ―” Teddy started, but James shook his head, too humiliated to hear whatever platitudes Teddy was going to say. 

“James…” Teddy sighed. He tightened his hands around James’s arms, then gently but determinedly tipped him forward into a hug. James resisted, briefly, then gave up, pressing his forehead against the jut of Teddy’s shoulder. Teddy rested his cheek on James’s head. He breathed in deeply, his chest rising and falling against James’s own, as James let himself be held, his own hands hanging uselessly by his sides. His fingers twitched with the urge to put them around Teddy, to return the hug, but he clenched them into fists. He’d already shown far too much of his own hand, here, too much of what he really felt. He couldn’t let himself show any more. 

“You smell nice, too,” he whispered, and James opened his eyes, forehead creasing as he tried to process what Teddy meant. “You always smell nice,” Teddy continued. “I’m just used to it.” 

Teddy pulled back, hands on either side of James’s face as he smiled down at him, his eyes warm and kind and inexplicably sad, it seemed to James. He leaned forwards, kissing James gently, and dryly on the forehead. James suppressed a shiver at how nice such a small amount of contact felt, at how something so platonic could make him feel so _warm_. 

“I’m just used to it,” Teddy repeated, pulling back. James watched the movement as Teddy swallowed, taking a step back and removing his hands from James’s face. 

“Wake me up if you need anything in the night, okay?” he said softly. 

James nodded absently, his mind a welcome blank after the events of the day, warmth in his chest and face from the contact between them. Teddy smiled back, a mostly genuine thing that almost reached his eyes, as he stepped past James and headed up the hallway to his bedroom. James watched him go, watched as Teddy ran his fingers through his hair, sweeping it back off his face and letting it curl around the the nape of his neck. His robes gently swayed as he walked, his scent fading but never quite leaving James. James shook himself after a moment, turning and shutting the guest room door. 

He undressed quickly, perfunctorily, trying not to think of all the ways he would usually use magic for this, trying not to think of the ways his body had changed now ― potentially for good. Would it be for good? He didn’t know how long Scorpius and his lab of like-minded potions obsessors would really take to understand the compound of the potion, and find a potential antidote. And would that even work? James paused as he pushed his jeans down his hips, kicked them off his feet and then draped them over a chair. He looked down at his stomach, at the planes of his abdomen and the smattering of dark hair leading lower. 

“ _Omega_ ,” he mouthed silently as he ran his fingertips over the curve of his belly, placed a warm palm over the dip between his pelvis and his hips. 

He sat down heavily on the bed. The word felt foreign in his mouth now, the shape wrong, too big and unwieldy. It didn’t roll on his tongue; it stuck in his throat, like someone had jammed a Snitch in there, forced it down with their fingers. The idea ― of being an Omega ― still brought a soft sort of joy in him but it tasted bitter in his mouth. An Omega, yes, but with no magic. Without that, he was barely himself at all.

He tried not to think about tomorrow, as he peeled back the covers and crawled underneath them in just his underwear and a singlet. He tried not to think at all, as he buried his face in the pillows and searched for any trace of Teddy’s scent amongst the soft linen, pretending as he often did that he wasn’t alone in bed. 

His head had barely hit the pillow before he was asleep.

-*-


	3. Hello Pot, My Name is Kettle

-*-

Once when James was nineteen, still trying to come to terms with being an Absent Presentation and simultaneously trying to merrily blow half of London in dirty club toilets, a man in a bar had offered him a vial of sparkling liquid.

Already somewhat drunk, and not in the mood to spend a little _quality time_ with a seedy looking fellow named Jeremy, James had declined. He was far too interested in watching the men on the dancefloor, in the ways they moved under the sparse light. The way no one knew who he was here ― knew _what_ he was ― and the way the bartender had looked him up and down as he told James he knocked off at midnight. James wanted to take him home, get on his knees and let him fuck his mouth ― the closest James would let himself get to being fucked the way he really wanted. 

Then, the man had leant a little closer, spoken a little louder to make himself heard over the thrumming bass of the music. 

“Omega’s Kiss, this one is called.” The guy’s lank hair was covering half of his face as James threw a suddenly interested glance over at him. “For those who like to see how the other side lives, like to feel a little _heat_.” He leered. “A guy like you,” he stepped closer and he looked James up and down, “I bet a guy like you wants to know what that feels like.” 

James had blanched, momentarily, then straightened as the man’s meaning sank in. He’d smiled humorlessly, pushing away from the wall and standing chest to chest with this Jeremy the Potion Peddler. James had run his tongue over his teeth, narrowed his eyes; the man thought he was an Alpha. The only people who thought that, who couldn't tell his scent was something different, were Absents. _Hello friend_ , James’d thought; wasn’t every day he met someone like himself. 

“Nothing quite like it out there.” Jeremy had jangled the vial, the liquid inside seeming to move and stay still at the same time. “Like nothing you’ve ever felt before, I’d wager.” His breath gusted over James’s face, and as James watched the vial of glittering fluid, he decided he was feeling just reckless enough to find out if that was true. 

Dodgy illegal potion-seller or not, turned out lank-haired Jeremy had been right; it had felt like nothing James had ever experienced. He’d downed the vial of potion in the loo, and felt it almost immediately; heat flushing through him, in his torso and thighs, his cock stirring in his jeans as he raced out of the club’s back door and Apparated home from an alley. He’d never felt so much so quickly, the desire to be fucked, to be filled up, consuming him as sweat had prickled on the neck; he’d needed to get out of there, and quick, before he did something stupid like climb over the bar and beg Benji the bartender to fuck him then and there.

He’d barely made it into his apartment, got his hands down his trousers and tossed off in the middle of his hallway ― and then again in his bedroom, his magically charmed dildo working in and out of him. It was a present to himself, one he’d bought on his birthday only weeks before but hadn’t been able to bring himself to use yet. James had never felt something so right in his life as the dildo fucked into him, as he’d whispered the charm the man who sold it to him said would make it go faster, deeper, would angle it to hit ― _ah!_ ― that spot. 

He’d writhed on his bed, forehead pressed against the pillow, one hand gripping the headboard and the other his aching cock as he’d come harder than he’d ever known it was possible to, and then again, as the Potion ebbed through his veins. 

The effect of Omega’s Kiss was nothing, though, compared to how he felt right now. 

Right now, with the moonlight creeping in through the window as James flung it open, he felt as though he’d drunk about a litre of the bloody stuff, and then had a swim in it for good measure. This felt about ten times worse, ten times better, ten times more intense ― just ten times _more_.

James sat on the wooden sill, then leant his head and shoulders backwards out the window, sighing in blissful relief as the rain and cool air hit his skin. He’d never been so hot in his entire life, never felt like this outside of running a fever. He tipped his head back further, his body half out the window as he let the rain wash over his face, down his neck and onto his chest, dampening his singlet. He straightened, greedily gasping down the cool night air as he sat in the windowsill and rested his head against the wooden pane. He gasped again as another shudder ran through him, one which had nothing to do with the rain trickling down his back and everything to do with the dampness on the back of his underwear which was….

Jesus, Merlin, and Godric on a tricycle, which was not fucking good. 

James remembered the words the man had said right before he’d been rescued ― _"just one touch, and in twelve hours you’ll be ready, so ready"_ ― and angry realisation settled in the pit of his stomach, mingling with the arousal, the confusion, the creeping warmth up his back. He groaned miserably, curling his toes in the carpet. 

_Oh, shit_ , he thought. _That fucking **bastard**._

Of course he would have a heat. Of course that would be part of that fucking horrible wanker’s plan. James should have worked it out earlier, should have told Albus about the twelve-hours, but it had been lost amongst all the other batshit things this Marion had said. James laughed dryly, groaning again, this time as his insides rolled, that curious almost-pain shooting up inside him. He spread his legs, clenching his buttocks as he perched on the window and gasping as his erection twitched, trapped inside the thin cotton of his underwear. He pressed his cheek against the hard wood of the windowpane, trying to ride the wave of infuriating arousal out. It had been happening for the better part of three hours now, had woken him up, his dick hard and his arse aching in the strangest way. When he’d touched himself, run his fingers around his hole and seen them come back glistening with slick, he hadn't immediately figured it out. He'd thought maybe it was normal, just another Omega treat. Hell, for all he knew this _was_ normal; Omegas did get slick for sex, in a way other presentations couldn't, not without a little help. 

More than a little curious, he'd slipped his fingers back down inside his underwear, rolling onto his stomach as he pushed them deeper, felt that glorious burn. It was easier than he’d found it before, easier to push them in, and he almost missed the resistance, but then he was too swept away by the electric feeling of his over-sensitised skin. 

Three fingers thrusting inside himself, and he’d brought himself off in minutes, breathing hard into the soft pillow and grinding himself against the mattress. Three fingers, and he’d thought that was that. 

But when he’d sat up to clean the mess, he winced when he remembered he couldn't ― that there was no way he could spell away a damp spot ― then winced again when he realised he was still hard. 

Over two hours later, and he still was. 

He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes, staring at the closed door in front of him, the unmade bed between him and it, as he weighed his options once more. He knew what he should do, what this was. It was getting harder and harder to think properly, to concentrate, as his thoughts all began to converge on one thing; getting fucked. The idea of it was enough to make his cock leak, to make him gasp as his hips canted forward off the window sill. He wanted something inside him ― someone above him, thrusting down hard, sliding in good and deep and right ― in a way he’d never considered it was even possible to want sex. Like he _needed_ it. 

He knew from that that he was definitely in heat, that he needed to contact his brother. He needed help; he understood now why people took suppressants to avoid feeling like this. It was coming in persistent waves, the jolting arousal. He couldn't imagine how anyone could be expected to function while this was going on. He needed something to stop this. 

But that was where James was hitting a problem. He couldn't contact Albus. He couldn't send a Patronus, and he didn't have an owl. The Floo wouldn't activate while he had no magic. He swore loudly, bending forwards as another wave of arousal rushed from his ribs to his hips, plummeting through him. It was bordering on painful once more, which was more than disconcerting. James had heard horror stories of Omega heats that went unattended, everyone had. He wasn't sure how much of it was true, and while he knew no one had ever died of it, he’d once heard someone say they’d felt like they were going to. The entire idea of a heat was for an Omega to find a mate, an Alpha, and to make fucking them an imperative ― to be knotted. When that was ignored, or not possible to fill, things could get pretty unpleasant before the heat would inevitably end. James would have thought it would've taken a few days for him to get that bad though, not a few hours. But nothing about this was as it should be, and he would bet money on his abductor not caring whether he sped things up a little bit. 

James straightened up again, putting one hand up into his wet and tangled hair as he breathed harshly through his nose. If he ever got his hands on Marion fucking Collins, he was going to wring his sadistic, potions-making little neck. Right after he stuck his foot up his arse so hard he never walked again. 

But either way, this left him with no choice. Magic-less as he was, he would need someone to get help _for_ him. And there was only one other person in the house who James could ask. 

James gasped loudly, tightening the hand in his hair and resisting the urge to grab himself. It meant he needed to go and get Teddy. 

Which really he should have done hours ago. He should have done it when he woke up wet, should have done it when he wrapped his hands around himself the second, and then the third time, and found he was still achingly hard when he’d finished. He couldn't articulate what was stopping him from just getting up and banging on Teddy’s door, but he knew it had something to do with how badly he needed to be fucked right now, with the way his lower half was screaming at him to find an Alpha, and to find him _now_. 

James moaned miserably, peeling his singlet off his overheated body and throwing it angrily across the room. 

“Fuck this,” he mumbled dejectedly. “Fuck this, fuck this, fuck thissss, ah _shit_!” he hissed, breaking off as he doubled over, a deep pang of want and a deeper one of pain ratcheting through his belly, between his hips. He bent forwards, then leaned back, wondering if stretching would help the discomfort. He grimaced; nope, not better, he realised, counting to three as he let the raindrops land on his face and bare shoulders again as the ache passed. No, this was not better. This was fucking ridiculous. He needed to get help, and his dick would just have to deal with being in the same room as Teddy while James begged him to call Albus ― and then hopefully didn’t beg for anything else. _Fuck_. 

James pulled himself upright, then steeled his jaw as he pushed himself to his feet. He wobbled slightly, clutching the windowpane to steady himself. _Right_ , he told himself. _Walk to the bed, then door, then hallway. One step at a time, and you're fine_. 

James gritted his teeth, then moved his feet ― left foot, then right ― as he shuffled across the grey carpet and to the unmade bed. Three steps and he reached it, just as another desperate wave of arousal hit him, seeming to vibrate from his shoulder blades down to the backs of his knees, to his aching erection. He shut his eyes, mouth open as he crumbled to his knees, hands splayed on the bed as he kneeled in front of it. 

It felt different somehow. There was that same ache, but it seemed less painful, more yearning. Something seemed to settle the urgent feeling inside him, to soothe him, at the same time as it made want to bite down on the mattress in front of him. For the first time since the heat had started, he felt good; aroused, excited. He clenched his fists in the crumpled blanket as he rode out the almost euphoric feeling of relief that seemed to be entering him. He clenched his thighs and bit his lip at the way he felt himself getting hotter, _wetter_. God, that sensation was odd, and fucking amazing, and not something he was used to. He felt his shoulders tremble, pressed his forehead against the side of the mattress ― then jerked as he felt a warm hand on his upper arm. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” Teddy said quietly, smoothing James’s wet hair back off his head. “Can you stand up for me?”

James cringed, groaning miserably as he realised what it was. That scent. He hadn’t even noticed Teddy open the door, hadn’t heard him walk in and kneel down beside him, too distracted by his body, by the rush of calm ― by the effort of walking three bloody steps. Of course it was that fucking scent. 

“Oh, god,” he moaned, burying his head further against the mattress as humiliation surged through him. He was mostly naked, mostly drenched, his cock tenting the front of his pants. The room stank of sex, and James had never felt more embarrassed in his entire life. 

“No, no, no, it’s fine, come on. We need to…”James felt Teddy put an arm around him, tilt him against his chest again. He sighed deeply, breathing that scent in, his mouth open against Teddy’s collarbone. Teddy was shirtless, a thin dressing gown around his shoulders, pyjama bottoms slung low on his hips. James shut his eyes, swallowing down another groan at the contact. He heard Teddy make a strange sound as well, before clearing his throat and tightening his arm around James. 

“Okay, I’m gonna lift you up now,” Teddy explained, his voice deep and somewhat rough, “and we’re gonna go and call your brother. Which I should’ve done earlier,” he said gruffly, sounding angry at himself. He stood with a creak of knees, pulling James up beside him. James made a strangled sound of protest, then another as that infuriating warmth surged through him again. Teddy breathed in sharply, then out again through his mouth. 

“Shit,” he swore softly, face pressed briefly against James's hair, his fingers tensing on James’s shoulder. “God, you are…” Teddy cut himself, inhaling deeply again. “Okay, I definitely should have called Albus earlier. You good to walk?”

James nodded his head distractedly, face pressed against the warm skin of Teddy’s chest. He opened his mouth, shivering as he breathed that scent down, felt it fill all his senses. Teddy made another gruff sound. 

“Alright, Jamie. Out we go, then. Let’s go get your Healer.”

-*-

“What do you mean you can’t give him anything?”

James rested his head back against the side of the bathtub, clenching and unclenching his fists as he listened to Teddy talking on the downstairs Floo with his brother. They’d made it down the stairs, not an easy feat with James being about as coordinated as a man on stilts. Not to mention he couldn't stop touching Teddy, couldn't keep his hands from winding around his waist, from pressing his face against the bare skin of Teddy’s chest. It was beyond mortifying, the affect Teddy was having on him, the way his skin felt beneath James’s hands, as he pressed his cheek against the hard muscle of his chest. It mortified him, yes, but he couldn't stop. If that scent had comforted him before, it was driving him wild now. Everything was still there, the feelings it evoked in him, but now it made him _want_. To touch, to kiss, to bite ― it made his back arch and his legs tense, everything from his shoulder blades to the balls of his feet tingling. He wanted Teddy around him, on top of him, to feel that skin press against his own in more than a simple embrace. 

It made him want to be _fucked_.

James groaned, flushing at even the idea of it. How Teddy would feel, braced above James before pushing inside, slow and deep and ― James squirmed, whimpering. _Fuck_. He’d never done that before, but he’d wanted to, wanted more than his own fingers inside him. He’d wanted Teddy.

He wasn’t a small guy, but Teddy could have carried him here; James wasn't sure if he was glad Teddy had at least spared him that indignance, or sad he’d missed his chance. He whimpered, a soft, needy sound as he shut his eyes and groaned at the ceiling. _Missed his chance to be fucking carried_? God, how pathetic could he be?

The bathroom fan whirred softly above him, and James concentrated on the sound of Albus’s voice, coming clearly from the Floo and through the ajar bathroom door. 

“I’m sorry Ted, I can’t.” Albus’s voice sounded alert, but muddled, as though he’d been woken up, dragged out of bed. _Sorry about that, little brother_ , James thought almost hysterically. “We talked about it earlier, me and Magnus. He was pretty convinced there would be a heat, but I was hoping it wouldn’t...that the potion wouldn't be able to simulate something as complex as that.” James heard Albus sigh loudly. “But either way, we have no idea what suppressants would do to him. I think they might genuinely make it worse. I mean it’s channelling a huge amount of energy from his magic, if we block that up, it’s gonna just build inside him and…” Albus broke off, making a distressed sound. 

James shifted uncomfortably against the floor of the bathroom, groaning once more. The cool air in here was more than welcome, as were the cold tiles beneath him. He’d wanted to follow Teddy to the living room, not to leave his side, but he’d also been adamant he didn't want his brother to see him like this; half naked, hard as a rock, glistening with sweat and with his hair sticking up at an odd angle, he knew he must look more than a bit deranged. Not to mention the way he couldn't stop from trying to touch Teddy, couldn’t stop from trying to get as close to him as he could. He and Albus were close, but there were some things James didn’t want to share with his little brother, Healer or not. 

“So we just...sit it out?” Teddy said almost frantically. “We can’t, he’s in _heat_ , and I’m ― ” Teddy took a deep breath and lowered his voice, but James could still make him out easily. “I can’t be here with him Al, we need to get him out of here, we need something to stop the ―”

“Hey, calm down, I know. Look, I’m sorry though, I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do.” 

Albus was speaking more quietly too, his voice a measured and calming sound, but James could barely hear it over the rush of painful adrenalin in him at Teddy’s words. 

_I can’t be here with him. Get him out of here_. 

James’s face crumpled as he moaned, overwhelmed at the implication there. Every cell in his body was screaming for Teddy, to get closer to him, and Teddy was begging Albus to get James out of his hair. He must be disgusted, James thought, a hiccuping breath escaping him. And why wouldn't he be? James was a mess and hardly being subtle, the way he’d been touching Teddy before he left, pawing at him. Teddy hadn't touched him back, just kept him upright, kept him walking until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Teddy had barely even made a sound, barely even spoken to him. No wonder Teddy had left him in the bathroom, James realised suddenly; he wanted James off of him. 

James leaned forwards, gasping as another wave of arousal surged up from his waist to his throat, this time mingling with the rejection plummeting down inside him. He felt almost hysterical, gutted, as he clapped a hand over his mouth, an arm around his middle and pressed his knees together as tightly as he could while he tried to ride it out. What had he just done? He’d ruined it, had not been able to control himself, and now Teddy wanted him gone. He should have tried harder, James told himself furiously, tried to control what he was doing, to keep his _fucking hands to himself_. 

He scrunched his face up again, a loud whimper escaping him. _No, fuck this._ He gritted his teeth, willing his brain to shut up as he simultaneously willed his body to calm the hell down. _I’m not doing this_ , he told himself firmly, blinking away tears before they began to fall. _This is not a surprise, you already knew he didn’t want you. Get it together, Potter, you’re not having a fucking meltdown in the bathroom_. 

“Ted, you know we can’t separate you two because of the attachment, and we can’t suppress his symptoms,” Albus continued. “I mean. The only other thing you _could_ do is ―”

“Al, don’t,” Teddy interjected softly, but firmly. 

James leant his head against the lip of the tub again. Their voices washed over him as the surge passed, leaving only the residual tremble in his legs, followed by the nauseating thump of rejection and humiliation in his stomach. He wiped his hand angrily over his sweaty face, pushing his hair off his forehead and making it stick up. _No, I told you, get it **together**_. He concentrated on breathing. _In, and then out again. In_ ― 

“Oh come on Ted, don’t act like you don’t already fancy the pants off ―” 

― _and then out again, In, through the nose, and then_ ― 

“Al, no,” Teddy said quietly, miserably. “That’s not the... It doesn’t matter how I feel about him, I can’t take advantage of this. He’s been fucking poisoned! You can’t suggest that I ―”

― _out again. In, and then...in, and_ …

James blinked, breath catching as he frowned in confusion and looked at the door. What did... _what did he just say_?

“Well, it’d end the heat, that’s for sure,” Albus explained somewhat more mildly. “And I think he’d ―” 

“No.” 

“Maybe talk to him first, about what he’d like ―” 

“It’s completely out of the question, Albus. He’s in heat, he’s half out of his mind, and there’s no way he could agree to that, to anything, not properly,” Teddy hissed, his voice low but vehement. “I mean, isn’t that the point of this potion, to control him, make him do things he doesn't actually want to do?” 

James stared at the door, hand massaging back and forth over his stomach as his mind raced. 

_It doesn’t matter how I feel about him... I can’t take advantage…. There’s no way he could agree..._

“That’s not how heats work, and you know it, you big, blue idiot. And as for the potion, well, as far as we can tell it’s simulating the Omega traits and now causing a heat, but it’s not making him do anything he doesn't want to do. That’s rather on the Alpha’s end of things, I think ― not to force anything. He’s still him, completely. He can make a choice about this.”

Teddy made a caustic, disbelieving sound, and Albus hummed. “Look, he _likes_ you, Teddy. He likes―” 

“He doesn't, Al.” 

James blinked, mouth falling open as he doubled over again, another gut-punch of _want_ building inside him as Albus and Teddy talked, oblivious to the fact that James could hear them. Could hear them talking, about him, about Teddy wanting to...about _James_ wanting to...

“He does―” Albus broke off then sighed. “Merlin, he’d kill me for saying this, but what the hell. Look, he thinks there's something wrong with him. I mean he's nearly bloody twenty-two, and he's never even let someone take him on a date. He picks people up but never sees them twice, which is fine if that was what he actually wanted, but it’s not. He just doesn’t want to let anyone ever get the chance to tell him they don't want him, because he's _convinced_ that's what will happen. He has this idea that he's a freak and that he’s faulty somehow, that he’s unnatural, and you know that already, I know you do, he’s just really, _really_ good at hiding how badly it actually bothers him. And he thinks an Alpha like you should be riding off into the sunset with an Omega, and would never look at him twice, so if you _have_ been looking at him twice then, just. Talk to him, before you make any big assumptions about why he hasn't exactly noticed it. He's…” Albus let his breath out in a soft huff. “Just talk to him.” 

Albus was silent, as he waited for Teddy to reply. In the bathroom, James stared at the white tiled floor, his stomach doing queasy flips and his mind doing even bigger ones as he tried to digest the fact that his brother had just succinctly summarised ten years of James’s deepest insecurities and Grim-sized hang-ups into a two-minute speech. He sniffed, shaking his head and licking his lips, then stared in surprise as a large, fat tear dropped off his chin and onto his knee. He wiped at it, then at his face, staring at his wet fingers. His heart hammered in his chest. 

He’d never told Albus any of that. He’d never told anyone that, not even Polly ― not to that extent. He didn't even like admitting some of that stuff to himself, he realised sadly. But Albus figured him out, and now he’d...told Teddy. James brought his knees closer to his chest, trying to get comfortable. He tensed his thighs, his calves, trying to ignore the gnawing, needy feeling buzzing in his belly. Now, Albus had told Teddy, who had not reacted the way James had expected him to. The way James had been telling himself he would for years. 

He swore loudly as his cock throbbed, another pulse of _wet_ leaking down the back of his pants. His body ached, his muscles sore and clenching spasmodically, and his face was flushed and damp. His hands were shaking, he noticed, his chest feeling like it was in a vice after the conversation he’d overheard ― wasn’t meant to hear; after the emotional cliff he felt like he’d just been flung off of, and yet somehow he’d landed safely. 

In the living room, Teddy spoke again softly. His voice sounded muted, muffled, as if he was talking through his fingers. He sounded how James felt ― confused, unsure. James pictured feet wobbling on a tightrope as it shook, only for once they weren't his own ― he wasn't the only one balancing between what they wanted and what they thought they could have. James almost laughed at the relief of it, then grimaced, biting his lip instead as his insides rioted. 

“I can’t, Al, I,” Teddy’s voice became even quieter. “What can I, how do I make…. How do I make him more comfortable?” 

Albus blew his breath out tiredly. “Okay, well. I gave him some pain potions. They’ve a really mild sedative in them, a muscle relaxant. They might help here. It’d knock him out a bit at least, make him woozy, but it’s not going to...it’s not going to feel any less intense. He’s not going to be able to sleep. As for you and your problem, well...I dunno.” There was a tense pause.  
“Lock the door?” Albus said mildly 

-*-

Teddy’s feet padded softly along the short distance from the living room to the bathroom, the sound muffled by the carpeted floor. James counted the steps, his breathing uneven as he let the nearing scent wash over him, let it bring that unnerving comfort and stir up the bone-rattling arousal inside him. He waited for the despair, for the hollow feeling of useless unrequited emotion to follow it, but it was different somehow. This time, it didn’t so much flood into him as trickle over his skin. Like a wave hitting a brick wall, he felt it, but...that was it, before it was slowly ebbing back and away.

_Teddy wanted him._

James made a strange relieved sound, then clapped his hand over his mouth to keep another one in. Teddy _wanted_ him. He felt every muscle in his body tense with anticipation as he sucked on his lower lip. He rubbed his hand over his forehead, then up into his tangled hair. That scent was bringing him comfort, and relief, and _Teddy_. 

He sat up, putting his hands on the floor and managing to get his feet under him in an awkward squat, just as Teddy walked in and grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet. 

“Shit, hang on, let me ―”

James made that relieved, garbled sound again, laughing at the ridiculousness of it as he fell against Teddy’s chest. He wound his arms around Teddy’s waist, leant his weight against him, as Teddy hesitated then tentatively rested one hand on James’s head. James sighed, warm breath puffing over Teddy’s skin, and felt Teddy tighten his arms around him. He gently moved his hand through James’s hair. 

They stood quietly in the centre of the room, the wind from the open window gusting over James’s hot skin and goose-bumping the flesh, as he let himself relax into the calm of the impromptu hug. James smiled softly, pacing his breathing to the rise and fall of Teddy’s chest, enjoying the moment of peace as Teddy’s scent enveloped him ― until his body tensed, his shoulder hunching and his fingers involuntarily digging into Teddy’s back. Teddy tensed as well, stepping back and trying to reach the bathroom cabinet over the sink. 

“Okay, Albus said ― hey, let go, those potions of yours are just in here.” 

James tightened his arms. He breathed in deeply ― soap, and skin, and sweat, and that unmistakable scent that was just _Teddy_ ― as he tried to get his mouth to work. He wanted to say, _I heard what you said, and I **can** agree to this, this is me_. He wanted to say, _Albus was right, about how I feel, and also that I’m going to kill him for telling you ― right after I buy him a new motorbike and a bunch of flowers_. He wanted to say, _bugger the potions, you know what will make me feel better, and it’s **you**_. 

He wanted to say a lot of things, but all he managed was, “please don't lock the door.”

Teddy looked down at him, pausing with his arm still outstretched and his fingers on the cabinet handle. His hazel eyes widened, his brow creasing in confusion as he searched James’s face. 

“Lock the…” Teddy groaned, shutting his eyes, then opening them again. He slowly removed his hand from James’s head. “Oh, shit,” he breathed out. “How much of that did you hear?” 

James just shook his head. “You don’t need to lock the door,” he repeated, then gasped, his voice high and breathy. “God, is it supposed to ― ah!” He doubled over again. “Is it supposed to _hurt_ like this?” 

Teddy made a sympathetic sound, his forehead creasing further as he looked down at James. He worried his lip, expression conflicted, before his shoulders sagged in resignation and his hand tentatively returned to James’s head. He ran it through his damp hair once more. James made another muffled whimper. 

“Shh, these’ll help.” Teddy tucked James’s face against his chest as he leaned over him to reach the cabinet. “This is all we’ve got, but it’ll help.” 

He walked them two steps, legs bumping up against James’s until he could lean James against the sink basin as he pulled down the lime green potion. He popped the cork out with one thumb. James leaned back, resting his head against the mirrored door of the cabinet, fingers gripping the basin. He clenched his mouth shut as his arse hit the back of the smooth porcelain, a jolt of pleasure rushing up his spine. Merlin, he’d never been so turned on by so little. He readjusted himself, parting his legs and fighting the urge to rub himself back against the sink, to push himself forwards against Teddy’s thigh. Teddy was in front of him; all he would need to do is cant his hips, and he could do it, he could touch ― 

“James.” 

James started as he felt Teddy’s fingers gently brush his cheek, running down to his jaw. He opened his eyes, staring at Teddy as he pressed the cold edge of the potion vial against his lower lip. 

James opened his mouth readily. 

The potion tasted sickly sweet ― thick, and medicinal ― on James’s tongue as he swallowed it down. James registered sugar, coconut, and fennel, as he watched Teddy’s eyes, watched as he stared at James’s throat working. His lips were slightly parted, his breath warm as it gusted over James’s face, as he rested his fingers against James’s jaw. 

Teddy exhaled shakily when he pulled the empty vial away, placing it in the sink. He ran his thumb over James’s lips, wiped at a corner of his mouth. 

“Okay?” he croaked. 

James flicked his tongue out to wet his lower lip, watched as Teddy’s eyes tracked the movement. This close, he could see the flecks of green in them, close to the pupil, could see the individual lashes framing them as Teddy blinked. James tilted his face up slightly. 

“I hate coconut,” he mumbled, staring at Teddy’s lips, at the flush of colour on his cheeks ― at the way he stared _back_. James spread his legs a little wider, his breathing speeding up. 

“Everyone hates coconut.” Teddy’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, his voice deep and low as he stepped closer into the parted V of James’s legs, seemingly unaware of what he was doing. His eyes didn’t leave James’s throat. 

James’s heart raced, Teddy’s words from earlier swirling around in his head. _It doesn’t matter how I feel about him_. James set his shoulders. 

“How do you feel about me, Teddy?”

Teddy looked up at his face, and then away again. “I….” Teddy shook his head softly, his shoulders tense as he placed one hand on the basin behind James. James leant forward, his mouth inches from Teddy’s own. He could feel his heart thumping so hard; he was sure if he looked down he would see it beating through his chest, but he forced himself to speak around the lump in his throat. 

“You wanna fuck me?” he whispered. Teddy’s head dropped lower.

“James, I ―”

“Do you want to fuck me?” James asked again, then gasped, his stomach flipping as he pushed his shoulders back. His hips inched off the bench and then back down again. “Is that what Al meant, what you meant, when you said ―”

“ _James_.” 

Teddy’s hair tickled James's collarbone as he shook his head slightly, his knuckles white as he balled his fingers into a fist.

“‘Cos I want to fuck you,” James whispered frantically, leaning backwards as Teddy’s head shot up, his eyes wide. James leaned forward, closing his eyes at the euphoric, terrifying rush admitting this brought in him, of saying this closely held secret out loud. 

Teddy’s eyelids fluttered as he blinked rapidly. “What…” 

“I want to fuck you, so badly. For so long, years,” James continued, his voice quiet but sounding deafening in his ears, “I've wanted you. Wanted you like this.”

Teddy’s eyes ran over his face, the pulse point fluttering in his neck as he searched James’s eyes for something. 

“That's the potion… making you say that,” Teddy said weakly, his face conflicted and James laughed, a strange high-pitched sound. He shook his head. 

“‘’M in heat Ted, I’ve not had a brain transplant. I can still think, I still remember everything, who you are. I know I’ve wanted to kiss you every Friday night for the last two years and I thought you’d never in a million years consider kissing me back, but out there to Al, it sounded, maybe like…” James cut off on a loud open-mouthed groan, shuddering as Teddy placed his hand on James’s hip, spreading his fingers of his other hand over James’s ribs. 

“Every Friday. Oh my god,” Teddy rested his forehead against James’s. “Are you _serious_?” He breathed out incredulously. James nodded, his forehead moving against Teddy’s.

“Every fucking Friday,” he ground out, Teddy’s hands feeling like brands on his skin. Teddy looked down, then up again through the almost-curls hanging over his forehead, his eyes intense and his cheeks flushed. 

“Please don’t just be saying that,” he whispered, hands on James’s hips as he looked down at him. James parted his lips, shook his head. He was struggling to keep his breathing under control, his chest rising and falling rapidly, as Teddy’s fingers clenched and then released again. 

“I’m not,” James said urgently. “I mean it, I wanted you. I _want_ you ― ”

“Oh, fuck,” Teddy said, closing the distance between them and kissing James. 

James cried out, an embarrassingly loud sound, as he opened his mouth, tried to move his lips against Teddy’s. It was messy, uncoordinated, James’s teeth scraping against Teddy’s lips, but he didn’t care. He wrapped one hand around Teddy’s neck, ran it roughly over the short hair of his neck and up into his hair. He tugged at it, his hand curling into a fist as he leaned back, pulling Teddy with him, his head hitting the medicine-cabinet door with a loud _thunk_. 

“Shit.” Teddy pulled back, wrapping his hand around James’s head. “Watch your hea ―”

James tightened his grip in Teddy hair, kissing him as hard as he could while trying to keep breathing, before Teddy pulled away again, kissing down James’s jaw and to his neck. James gasped, high and reedy, as Teddy briefly sucked on the skin. Teddy straightened, running his hand over his own face, sweeping his hair back, before kissing James on the lips, the cheek.

“You never told me,” Teddy mumbled into his cheek, running his teeth over James’s jaw and sucking on his earlobe. “Fuck, you should have _told_ me!”

James laughed shakily, the sound echoing around the bathroom. 

“Hello Pot, my name is K ― Kettle,” he managed to grit out, resting his head back against the mirror and arching his neck as he gasped for air. 

Teddy stepped closer, then back again almost immediately, laughing incredulously himself. 

“You _did_ hear everything!” 

James laughed again as he nodded. It sounded almost hysterical, but he didn’t care. He was too relieved ― too wound up ― to give a Hippogriff’s feather about anything right now. He arched his back further, Teddy’s hand tightening in his hair. 

“Fucking hell, Jamie, stop ― don’t do that, with your neck.” Teddy shook his head, wrapping one broad palm over James’s throat, covering it, then clapped the other over his own mouth. He breathed in harshly for a moment, trying to control himself, then placed his other hand over James’s neck, both thumbs resting on either side of his Adam’s apple. “You don’t know what that’s doing to me. Fuck, I can’t believe...two _years_?” he groaned again, kissing James’s chin, down to his collarbone. “Were you gonna tell me?” 

James stared down at him as Teddy mouthed at at the join of his shoulder. He croaked an unhappy laugh, even as his body sang under Teddy’s kisses. James swallowed, shutting his eyes as tightly as he could and pushing through the barrier of his pride in order to keep talking. _He as good as knows it now anyway_. 

“Probably not,” he admitted. “I’m an Absent, and you’re, you know, I thought.” James swallowed, his mind reeling as Teddy made a pained muffled sound against his chest, biting softly at the skin. James shivered at the sensation, the light nip of teeth on skin, then licked his lips, determined to continue all the same. “I don't date people, I’m not...they won't want me ―” 

“Fuck that,” Teddy growled, pulling James against him, kissing him hard. James moaned gratefully, then gasped as Teddy pulled him upright, lifting him and placing him on the basin, his legs around Teddy’s waist. They both groaned loudly as the movement brought their hips into line; James shuddered, fingers digging into Teddy’s thigh as he felt Teddy’s cock hard against his own. 

“Can you feel that?”

“Oh _god_.”

“I want you.” 

“ _Uhh_!”

Teddy ran his lips around James’s ear, rolling his hips down against James. 

“You’ve no idea how much I want you.” Teddy voice sounded rough, his hips moving steadily as James clawed at his back, pulled at the thin material of his pyjama bottoms. James could feel his cock, long and hard and thick against his own, pressing against him and _fuck_ , he’d never felt so turned on, so desperate. 

“Every time we solved a case. Every time you saved my arse, I got to save yours. Every time you got _hurt_.” Another roll of Teddy’s hips, and James pushed up, his voice high and broken as he gasped. “Everytime you _looked_ at me at fucking Sunday lunch,” Teddy ground out, as James keened. 

“Wha ― what?”

“You heard me.” Teddy kissed James’s neck, licking over the taut tendon as James moved back against him, trying to up the pace, to get more friction. _Fuck_ , he needed ― 

James bit at Teddy’s shoulder, shaking as his hips jerked, the jolting arousal in his belly coming in persistent waves, his cock as hard as it had even been. He wriggled on the basin, Teddy’s hands still firm on the sides of his arse as James tried to push forwards into Teddy’s groin and backwards onto his hands at the same time. He whined in frustration, the wet feeling between his arse cheeks all he could focus on as he clenched them again, lifted his legs higher. 

“Te ― Ted, _ahh_ , I need ― I need you to,” James broke off, unable to ask for what his body was screaming for. 

Teddy nodded, kissing him again. “Not here. Bed, upstairs, now.”

James nodded frantically, the room slipping sideways as Teddy Apparated them into his bedroom. James wobbled, the ground lurching underneath him as Teddy caught him, holding him steady, his hands hard as they gripped him just above the elbow. He walked him over to the bed. 

“Sorry, should have warned, _uhh_.” Teddy stopped as James pulled him against him, grinding his body against Teddy as they tried to walk. He couldn't stop himself, couldn't control his hands as he grabbed at Teddy’s dressing gown, pushing it off his shoulders and down to his elbows. Teddy grunted, flinging it off his arms as James nodded at nothing, blinking sweat out of his eyes as he shivered, his knees shaking and threatening to buckle as he tried to push Teddy’s pyjama bottoms down, tried to push his own underwear down as well. 

“Fu ― _uck_!” James groaned gutturally as his back curved, his head against Teddy’s sternum. His vision swam, his stomach clenching and his cock jerking at the painful, wonderful burn in his gut. Teddy growled, pulling him upright. 

He kissed James deeply, swallowing the sounds James made as he placed his hands on either side of his face. 

“I got you,” he mumbled, turning James around and pulling his back against his chest. James arched his spine, moved his shoulders against the hard muscle of Teddy’s chest, Teddy’s hands on his hips. Teddy kissed down his neck, open-mouthed and wet as he pushed both their pants down. 

James opened his mouth, no sound coming out as Teddy ground himself down against James’s arse. A strangled whine left his throat as he pushed back, grabbing at Teddy’s leg, trying to pull them closer. He spread his legs, his cock jutting out in front of him, red and angry as Teddy moaned into the back of his neck. He slipped one hand down between them, running his knuckles down James’s back, down to the crease of his arse, then stopped. James tried to smother the sounds he was making, gripping Teddy’s wrist as he moved his other hand over James’s belly. He bit at James’s ear lobe. 

“Walk to the bed, James.”

“ _Uhh_.”

“Walk, sweetheart,” Teddy whispered and James keened, moving his feet until his knees hit the side of Teddy’s bed. 

“Good boy.” 

Teddy groaned as James spread his legs wider, gasping as his cock slid between his cheeks. James jolted as if burned, his hair falling over his face as he dug his nails into Teddy’s hand. 

“Please, please ―” he begged, dropping his head forwards. He wasn’t sure what he was asking for, but he needed to say it all the same. Behind him, he felt Teddy shiver, felt him run his hand up to James’s throat and gently wrap his fingers around it. 

“I got you,” Teddy tilted James’s neck back further, running his lips over James’s jaw. “ _Fuck_ , James,” he growled, breathing loudly as he lined himself up. He rubbed his cock over James’s slick hole, and James jerked again wildly, rising onto the balls of his feet and clawing at Teddy’s arm, his leg. 

“Please, please, _please_ ― uhh!” 

“Yeah, I got you.” 

James dropped his head back onto Teddy’s shoulder, his eyes scrunched shut as he felt the head of Teddy’s cock finally, finally slip inside. Teddy made a low, desperate sound as he pushed forwards, James clenching around him, the slick letting him slide in easy but the burn still there, more than James had ever felt before. Teddy felt thicker, bigger, _better_ than any toy James had ever used, than his fingers could ever be. He felt perfect. James breathed out harshly as Teddy slowly thrust into him, inch by long inch, until he bottomed out, his hips against James’s arse. 

“Fuck. _Fuck_. You feel so...” Teddy kissed James's shoulder, as James nodded, unable to move properly, to speak. Teddy ran his hand down James’s side, bent his legs slightly as he pulled out a fraction and then eased back in. James _keened_. 

“Shh,” Teddy soothed, his voice gravelly and rough as he lifted James’s leg, bent it and rested his knee on the bed. “Shh, it’s okay.” 

He pulled out again, further this time, thrusting back in slightly faster as he gently pushed James down onto the bed. James leant forwards onto his shaking hands, choking breaths gusting out of him as Teddy continued to pull out and ease back in ― slowly dragging out over James’s over-sensitised skin and then sliding back in deep. James shuddered. It felt so good, so right, and he clenched as Teddy upped the pace slightly. 

Teddy ran his hands up to James’s ribs, over to the blades of his shoulders. He groaned loudly as his hips faltered in their pace. 

“Fuck, James, I can’t ―,” Teddy gripped him harder, “I need to, need ―”

“Yes,” James moaned, spreading his legs wider. “Yes, ye ― _ahh_!” 

James bit his lip, hard enough to taste blood, as he dropped onto his elbows. Teddy’s hands gripped James's hips as he pulled out and slammed back in, hard. Teddy gasped, pulling out again and then thrusting back as James shut his eyes and braced his arms. 

He felt dizzy, out of breath, as he tried to gasp down air, tried to spread his legs as wide as he could. He felt the slow trickle of slick down the inside of his leg, past his balls and down his thigh as Teddy rutted into him, bottoming out on each hard thrust. It almost hurt, the burn almost too much; Teddy’s cock seemed impossibly big, almost impossibly wide. It was the best thing James had ever felt in his life. 

“ _James_ ,” Teddy panted above him, fingers gripping James hard enough to bruise as James nodded along mindlessly, his entire focus now centred on the place where they were joined, on the lightning dancing up his spine as he felt his orgasm racing towards him. Teddy leaned over him, kissing down his back as his hips continued to pump, mouthing along the bump of his shoulder. James gasped. 

“Bite me,” he whispered frantically, his voice barely recognisable as his own. He stared wide-eyed at the bed below him, shocked that he’d just said that, and even more shocked by how much he _meant_ it. Above him, Teddy’s hips slammed forward involuntarily. 

“Fuck, you don’t ―”

“Bite me, please, _please_. I want you to bite me,” James begged brokenly, unable to explain why he wanted that, needed it. He rolled his hips as Teddy mouthed at the back of his neck, he breath warm as James dropped his head forwards. 

“Please, bite ― please, I want. _Want_ ―” 

“James ―” 

“Please, fuck, _please_!” 

James gasped as Teddy thrust in again, deep and long, his movements turning frantic. Teddy placed his hands on the bed besides James’s fists, bracketing him, as he ran his teeth over James’s neck, down to the meat of his shoulder. 

James inhaled shakily, his cock hanging hard and heavy between his legs as he tried to spread them wider, as he felt that slide of slick down the back of his legs as Teddy’s cock pumped in and out. Teddy sucked again on the top of his shoulder, gently, moaning softly as his breath puffed over James’s overheated skin. Teddy kissed the area, pulling out and then slamming back in again as he bit down ― _hard_. 

“ _Ahh_!” 

James shouted as he came, the sound punching out of him. His entire body shuddered as he slapped his hand down onto the mattress in front of him, the heel of his palm skidding along the sheet as he pushed back against Teddy, against his lips, his cock. 

He arched his back, curling forwards then arching it again as he felt Teddy in thrust in hard, one last time, and then hold still, a loud guttural groan drawn out of him as his cock spurted inside James. Teddy rolled his hips, his forehead pressed against James’s shoulder, his mouth moving back and forth over the spot he’d bitten. James wobbled on his arms then fell forwards, sated warmth spreading through him, his shoulder on fire and a bone deep satisfaction rolling through him at the feeling of Teddy inside him ― of the _knot_ inside him, he realised. 

James gasped again as he clenched his insides around it, felt the burn of its solid weight joining them together. Teddy shuddered again, leaning down to wrap an arm around James’s chest, to pull him upright. James whimpered. 

“Hey, no, j ― just,” Teddy paused trying to catch his breath, his voice hoarse and his hips still pumping slowly. James rolled his own back again, almost unable to control his movement. 

“God, that feels so fucking good.” Teddy laughed brokenly against James’s back. “We just gotta move. You’ll thank me later.”

Teddy moved slightly, lifted James onto his knees and managing to move them forwards. It was awkward, their movements ungainly; James would have laughed at the sight they must have made ― Teddy still buried deep inside him, James’s thighs slick and wet ― but he could barely keep upright, barely get enough air into his lungs to speak. 

With a loud sigh of relief, Teddy let James fall forwards onto the pillow, slid his legs down next to him and pulled him onto his side. He breathed out heavily against James’s neck, his heart beating so fast James could feel it against his back. Teddy shivered gently, his breathing loud and rough as he placed his broad palm across James’s stomach. 

James closed his eyes against the pillow, as he let himself drift. 

He felt both awake and exhausted at the same time, tired in every muscle of his body but buzzing, his skin tingling all over. He felt that gnawing need in his stomach ebbing away, replaced by the ache of the knot, filling him up, getting larger even as they lay there. He chewed on his lip, moaning softly at how good it felt, how _right_ it felt. 

James sighed unevenly, stretching his shoulder and suppressing another moan at the twinge of pain there as his flaccid cock tried to twitch. Fuck, Teddy had bitten him. Marked him. Not his neck, James knew; this didn’t count as claiming. He didn’t care either way, he decided, as he felt his face heat up, emotion surging through him. Claimed or not, bond or not, this was _his_ ― his first time, something he’d wanted for so long but not known how to ask for.

He swallowed, his throat working as he rubbed his face against the pillow, his heartrate beginning to enter something more normal. Behind him, Teddy stirred; James made a soft sound as it shifted the knot inside him. 

“Does it feel alright?” Teddy asked quietly. His hand lay still, until he ran his fingers in a slow swirl around James’s bellybutton. 

James made a soft sound, nodding. It felt more than alright; he didn’t have words for what he felt right now. Teddy licked his lips, running his face over James’s neck, down to his shoulder and then back up again. 

“It’s good,” James murmured. He shifted his arm, angled it up under the pillow. His limbs felt loose and heavy as he stretched and felt the wonderful ache of the knot inside him, of Teddy inside him. He pushed his hair off of his face with his other hand. “It feels good,” he repeated. James swallowed, moving his hips a fraction as Teddy sighed behind him. “I haven’t...This is the first time I’ve done this,” James said quietly, a strange relief coming from admitting this out loud. 

“Been knotted?” Teddy ran his teeth along the ridge of James’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, and been...fucked,” James closed his eyes, feeling both bold and nervous at the same time as he mumbled the words.

Teddy groaned in surprise, his breath hitching as James felt his cock jump inside him, 

“Are you…Never? Fuck, that's,” Teddy shuddered again, “the idea that this is your first ―” he cut himself off, breathing loudly through his nose as he tried to get himself under control. “What’re you _doing_ to me?”

“Yeah?” James bit his lip, smiling slightly, a strange nervous relief washing through him. “Is that a good thing?”

“That is just about the hottest thing I’ve ever fucking heard,” Teddy said forcefully, lips moving against James’s skin. The corners of James’s mouth turned down as he smiled involuntarily down at the pillow, his face feeling warm; he’d never given much thought about his first time being something someone else would enjoy as well, that someone would like the idea of knowing they, and only they, had done this with him. Teddy relaxed slightly, his hips stilling, but quickly tightened his fingers protectively on James’s belly as he frowned. “Merlin, I should have asked though, before. I just assumed ―”

“No, no, this is good. I wanted this.” James waited a moment, then pulled Teddy’s arm around him. He rubbed his face on the pillow, weighing what to say next. He sighed. “I wanted to do it before, with someone.” _With you_ , James didn’t say. “But I don't like...” He licked his lips. “Telling people that I’m Absent. That there’s...” 

He felt the relief trickling out of him as the familiar shame welled up in its place. He tried to ignore it, to concentrate on what he was trying to say instead, on how nice it felt with Teddy’s arms around him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out; it didn’t seem to matter that Teddy already knew, James couldn't make himself to say it out loud. He made a muffled noise as he pressed his face back into the pillow. 

“That there’s something wrong with me,” James ground out. Behind him, Teddy made a sympathetic sound. He ran his cheek over the back of James’s head, leaning his weight onto his elbow. He kissed the back of James’s neck as he waited for James to speak again. “I mean, right now I’m normal. Except I have no magic,” James scoffed, sniffing wetly. _Fucking hell, here come the waterworks again_. He swallowed. “But I’m _normal_ , like you, and Vic, and...everyone. I can’t do any of this stuff usually. I can’t scent, I don’t,” James broke off to laugh humourlessly, “I do _not_ have heats. I don’t think I can even be claimed, not properly. Who would want to?” he mumbled, and Teddy stiffened behind him, his fingers tightening again. “That’s the whole reason some wanker shoved a potion down my throat, right? Without that, I’m...” James trailed off, feeling his face heat up miserably. 

“James.” Teddy swallowed thickly. “I don't really know where to begin with all the ways what that guy did was wrong, but as far as claiming goes that potion was completely unnecessary.” 

James frowned slightly, but didn’t reply. 

“You _can_ be claimed,” Teddy clarified. “As you were, you can absolutely be claimed, same as anyone. Some people just,” Teddy sighed, “have it stuck in their head that it’s only real, only natural, when it's between an Alpha and an Omega. That idea is as old as the hills, but if you wanna be claimed one day, James, you can be ― and believe me, people would want to.” Teddy’s voice sounded rough, deep. “Alphas would want to,” he rumbled, and James fought the urge to push his hips back, something in his chest tightening at the possessive timbre in Teddy’s voice. 

“You don't need a potion, or a heat. Just an Alpha,” Teddy elaborated, fingers still splayed on James’s belly. “And you could be marked, claimed, and it would be as real as you or me.” 

He tightened his fingers slightly before relaxing them again. James turned his cheek to the pillow, Teddy’s words sinking in. 

He liked the idea of that. He wasn’t sure if he believed it, exactly ― that someone would want to claim him ― but even still a small flicker of hope bloomed in his chest. 

“And you keep calling me normal, but it’s not often I get that,” Teddy went on, the movement of his fingers on James’s belly leaving goosebumps in their wake. “I present, yes, if that's what you mean. But that's about all I’ve got going for me in the normal department.” Teddy ran his nails lightly down James’s stomach to the thatch of hair at his groin, and then back up again. 

“I'm a metamorphmagus, an orphan, the son of a werewolf. Hell, I've been called some pretty messed up things based on that last one alone.” Teddy sighed, his breath puffing against James’s neck. “I have no idea what my natural hair colour is. Who doesn’t know that? It might be black, or that turquoisey colour. Sometimes when I'm tired or I think about my parents, my dad, it goes a sort of light brown. Other times I have no idea what it's doing.” Teddy shrugged, his arm brushing against James’s. “I'm pretty sure that's not exactly what most would call _normal_.” 

James moved his arm under the pillow, shifted his hips slightly against Teddy. “I like your hair,” he mumbled.

Teddy breathed out a gentle laugh. “Thanks,” he murmured back. “Me too.” He brushed some hair off of James’s forehead, smoothed it back. James closed his eyes. Teddy leaned down and kissed his cheekbone. 

“You know. It would mean a lot. Claiming you, that is. To the person...the person doing it,” Teddy rubbed his forehead over the spot he’d bitten on James’s shoulder, pressed his lips to it. “To see their claim on you, to know you were _theirs_.” Teddy exhaled roughly, his breath warm as he moved his lips to James’s neck. “To know you wanted it.”

James sucked on his lower lip, a strange feeling welling inside him at the mention of wearing someone’s ― _Teddy’s_ ― mark; of others seeing it, knowing that he was claimed. He ran his teeth over his lip, biting down gently. It was almost too much to take in, after thinking for so long that no one would want that kind of relationship with him, that he was excluded from that by default of never having presented. James felt raw, strange ― physically exhausted yet exhilarated at the same time, and almost light-headed with the happiness trying to unfurl inside his chest. It was too much. 

“There’s nothing wrong with you for being Absent,” Teddy whispered, and James gasped. Teddy moved his fingers in a slow circle again, kissed down James’s neck, to his shoulder. “You have no idea how attractive a person you are.” Another wet kiss, lips close to James’s ear.

“Oh god, stop, that's...” James arched his back, smiling in disbelief as his cock began to fill out once more. He wiped at his face, shaking his head; he felt good but overwhelmed by everything, happy but confused by the possibility of what Teddy was maybe offering here. _Was_ Teddy offering something here? Did that mean...James shook his head, unable to concentrate. He didn’t want to think right now, to think about anything. He just wanted _now_. “Can we talk about something else?” He shuddered. 

Teddy nodded, licking over the spot he’d bitten earlier. He nipped at the budding bruise, and James gasped. “How about how I've wanted to do this,” he kissed back up to James neck, tipping James onto his front, “for so long I thought it must have been obvious to anyone who was looking,” he rumbled. Teddy shifted, his thigh firm against the back of James’s own. James felt his breathing pick up as Teddy moved his hand to James’s hip, gripped it gently. “Obvious that I wanted you, to touch you, kiss you, anything.” James gasped again. Teddy ran his teeth over James’s neck, his hips stirring again. “Wanted to mark you,” he whispered. 

James’s hips twitched, his cock fully hard underneath him now. He lifted his head back and to the side, baring his throat to allow Teddy to run his lips down it. 

“Or we could not talk at all?” Teddy whispered, and James nodded fervently, tilting his head further. 

With the knot tying them, Teddy couldn't pull out, couldn't pull back much, but he inched his hips forwards, deeper. James breathed out shakily, moving his own hips against the mattress. 

“Fuck…” he mumbled. Teddy hummed in agreement. 

He rolled his hips, pushing into James, fucking into him as he kissed James’s neck. He mouthed the top of James’s spine and James’s breath hitched as he parted his legs, Teddy fitting between them as his thighs tensed, as he pushed into James. James’s knees skidded along the sheets as he pushed back, moaning into the pillow. He huffed incredulously as he felt his cock, fully hard now, rubbing over the sheets beneath him, moving back and forth with the rhythm of their hips. 

Teddy grabbed a spare pillow as he pushed James up, easing it under him. James gasped as he ground down against it, his cock sensitive and his arse on fire with the almost-pain of the knot moving inside him, the ecstasy of it pulling at his rim. Teddy rumbled again above him. 

“You feel so _good_.”

James moaned as Teddy brushed the hair away from his neck, then kissed just under his ear. He moved down, to the taut muscle on the side. James’s breath caught as Teddy began to suck. 

“Oh.” He swallowed, pushing up onto his elbows. “ _Oh_!”

Teddy rolled his hips down, one arm curled under James and the other pressed against the mattress by his head. James gasped, pushing back and tilting his head, giving Teddy access as he ground himself down against the pillow, as he felt Teddy moving incrementally inside him. Again and again Teddy thrust in deeper, rutting into him without pulling out, as he sucked on James’s neck, ran his teeth and then his tongue over his neck, then sucked harder once more. 

James canted his hips, moaning uncontrollably as he lost track of how long Teddy moved inside him. It was too much and not enough at the same time, Teddy’s lips on his neck making him shudder as Teddy continued that slow, even pace. James heard his own breathing, jagged and uneven as he panted, rolling his hips down onto the pillow, and back onto Teddy’s cock, his legs bracketing Teddy’s. He breathed in, loudly, choking out a gasp as Teddy pushed down and held him there. Teddy wiggled a hand down James's abdomen, gripping his cock. He held it loosely in his fist, letting James pump into it as he sucked, swirling a tongue against the red mark on James’s neck. 

James let his mouth fall open, then cried out, clenching tight as Teddy groaned behind him. James felt his orgasm racing out of him, felt it in the backs of his knees, in the pit of his stomach and the base of his spine as he gasped and keened. He spurted into Teddy’s loose fist, down onto the pillow between his legs, Teddy sucking on that spot on his neck the whole time. Teddy held James as he bucked, until he gently released his neck. He licked over the spot one last time as James shivered, struggling to catch his breath. 

“Oh my god.” James let his head drop. “Is that… ” James trailed off, breathing heavily as Teddy continued to rut into him gently. He gasped, his hips still moving gently back against Teddy. His neck throbbed, a strange, tight sensation building from where Teddy’s lips had been, and he rolled his neck, giddy euphoria swirling through him. “Did you just mark... 

Teddy ran his lips over James’s cheekbone. “No bite.” He clacked his teeth gently and James shuddered, arching his neck further. “There's a mark though, yes. You're… marked,” Teddy broke off on a groan. “That’ll wear off, when the mark heals ― oh, _fuck_ ― that’ll. It’s not perma ― _nent, uh_!” Teddy gasped as James clenched around him, hitching his hips and pressing back. 

“Oh, god. We need to stop. Seriously. This could go all night, if I don’t… let the knot go down,” Teddy dropped head down onto the back of James’s, then lifted it once more, breathing hard. 

“All night?” James queried, looking over his shoulder. He chewed on his lip, watching Teddy’s face crumple as he nodded, as James rolled his hips again. 

“Yeah ― the knot doesn't. It ties us, and I'll stay hard, unless we, unless I stop and let it just… oh god, James you gotta stop doing that.” Teddy laughed incredulously, sucking on his lower lip and kissing down James’s shoulder, back up to his neck. 

“You don't sound like you want me to stop doing it,” James mumbled as he rolled his hips again, clenching around the solid weight of the knot. He felt Teddy’s lips against his cheek, felt him smile against the skin before Teddy pulled his head back, kissed him deep and messy. James slid his tongue against Teddy’s, pulled his knee up. He felt the wet slide of Teddy’s come and his own slick leaking out of him, felt the tremble in Teddy’s legs, in his arms. He hitched his leg up higher. 

_Marked_ , James thought giddily, almost nonsensically. _I’ve been marked_.

“I don’t,” Teddy groaned, nodding. His forehead rubbed against James’s shoulder blades. “Oh, fuck, I don’t want you to stop. I want you to keep doing that.” 

James pushed back harder as Teddy gasped.

“Fuck, James. Keep…keep doing _that_.”

-*-


	4. Sally, Owen, and That Prick Marion

-*-

“Just jump! It’s fine.”

James was going to fall. 

He stepped out in front of him, easing one arm out to his right side and then the other out to the left. He closed his eyes, trying not to look down as he fought for balance. The rope swung underneath him, the hessian scratching at his bare feet as he clenched his toes. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. 

“Jump, James, it’s fine!” the voice called up to him again. “Look, I jumped!” 

Beneath him, James slid one eye open to make out a figure, waving their arms and legs to show they weren’t injured. They hopped from one leg to the other, then spun in a circle and ended with an elaborate bow, their colourful trousers vivid against the sand they stood on. James clenched his toes tighter. 

“I can’t fucking _jump_!” he yelled back to the blurry figure. “Are you insane?”

The person laughed, a faint sound at this distance. 

“Maybe! It’s very possible.” It looked like they had their hands on their hips. “Well, what are you going to do, then?” they asked mildly. “Just stay on the rope?” James watched them bend down. 

“There’s some cool stuff down here, actually ― hey, I used to have a book like this when I was little!” James saw the figure sit down on the ground, cross-legged, as they began to read the children’s book spread over their lap. 

James groaned in frustration, rolling his eyes, then straightened. He looked over his shoulder. Behind him, there was nothing but brambles and vines laden with heavy, red fruit and angry thorns as big as his head. He could hear rustling amongst the leaves, the buzz and skip of many wings and beaks clacking. Ahead of him...there was nothing. Thick grey clouds covered the end of the rope, jagged lightning cutting through it. James looked down again. 

“I’ll get hurt if I jump,” he yelled back, his voice less sure. “It’s like…It’s safer up here!” He swallowed. “Isn’t it?”

The figure looked up at him, the shifting colours of their hair catching the light. “Is it? It looks wobbly. Kind of itchy, too. Do you like it up there?”

James looked down at his raw and sore feet. “No,” he mumbled. “Not really.”

The figure nodded contemplatively, their chin resting on their hand as they stared up at James benignly. 

“You know, It’s like they always say ― it’s better to jump and break a leg, than to stand on a rope looking like a wanker and waiting for the bugs to eat you, while you wonder if a healing broken bone would really have hurt that much.”

James blinked. 

“What are you ―” he stared down at the person, entirely nonplussed. “No one says that, who the fuck says _that_?” 

The figure shrugged, smiling broadly. “Dunno. They, I guess. Hey, do you want me to read my book to you?” 

“Um. No thanks.” James held his breath as he balled his hands into fists, his heart in his throat. “So... You really jumped off of here?”

The figure called something back, but James couldn't hear them over the loud crack of thunder at the other end of the rope. 

“Hey! I said, did you really ―” 

James felt his foot slipping, the rope shaking violently. Fear rose in his throat as he clapped his hands over his ears The sound of the birds and insects in the brambles became deafening as they flapped their wings, thunder rumbling in the clouds again as James took a deep breath. He lifted one foot, moving his leg out and ― 

James jerked awake as a rooster crowed loudly, echoing around the room. 

He groaned, disorientated and confused, the remnants of his dream swirling away like soap suds down a drain. He yawned and pushed up onto his elbows, eyes sliding shut again; he opened them with a start as the rooster outside crowed even more loudly. 

“What the…” James looked over his shoulder in confusion at the open window. The curtain fluttered in the early morning breeze. He exhaled loudly, groaning as he dropped his face back onto the pillow. 

“Fucking chickens,” he mumbled groggily, turning over onto his back and then grimacing at the twinge in his back, in his legs, in his arse. He rubbed his eyes, yawning widely ― then abruptly stopped. He dropped a hand over his mouth, a muffled squeak escaping between his fingers. 

_The twinge in his arse_. 

James sat up tentatively, wide awake now as he took in his surroundings. This was not his bed. This was not Teddy’s guest bed, either. This was _Teddy’s_ bed, he thought, heat flushing up his chest as he remembered the previous night. The things he’d done, said ― the things _they_ had done. 

“Oh my god,” James mumbled behind his fingers, his face red as he remembered the bathroom, Teddy bringing him here, fucking him in this bed ― again, and again, until James had lost count of how many times he’d come. He remembered the feeling of the heat, the urgency, the feeling of Teddy pushing deep inside. He clenched his arse cheeks, inhaling sharply at the ache, the wonderful burn there. Fucking christ, he’d been knotted. He’d been….he ran a hand down to his shoulder, moved it to the back and hissed as he poked at the bruise there. He laughed quietly. 

“Ow,” he said happily to the room. He ran his hand up to his neck, curving a warm palm over it. He laughed again, disbelievingly, shaking his head. He’d been marked. Teddy’d told him he wanted him, fucked him until the sun had nearly come up, and marked him ― _marked_ him. 

James ran his hand over his mouth, trying to smooth the stupid smile off of it. _Marked him_. He puffed his cheeks out, then blew the air out of them loudly. And now...Well. 

James looked down at the crumpled sheets, at the clothes on the floor and blanket lying half-off the mattress. This was definitely Teddy’s very _ruined_ bed, which James was naked in, and which...Teddy was very much not in. 

James frowned, running a hand up into his hair; it caught on a tangle and he pulled distractedly, then gave up. He didn’t remember Teddy getting up, didn't remember him leaving. When he'd fallen asleep, they had still been...James flushed. Teddy’d still been inside him, when James had fallen asleep, exhausted and sated, his skin damp with sweat and his breath against the pillow. Teddy’s lips running over the back of his neck, his hands running over James’s sides, his chest warm and firm against James’s back. James exhaled shakily as his face heated up, the flush running down his neck to his collarbone. His cock stirred in his lap. James looked down at it, worrying his lip, then shook his head. He should get up, find Tedd, not wank in his bed, for Godric’s sake. 

James shook his head harder, standing up determinedly. He shook his limbs out. He should find Teddy, contact Albus, see what they needed to do about the heat and the aftermath. And then, possibly, he and Teddy needed to talk. James frowned, looking around the room for something to wear. He settled on Teddy’s discarded pyjama bottoms and then picked up his dressing gown. He weighed that in his hands, then slipped it on as well. 

He paused, breathing in deeply, then sighed loudly, uncontrollably as he slipped the garment over his shoulders. Teddy’s scent washed over him, intoxicating, heady, as James pulled the robe tighter around himself, around his bare chest. He buried his face in it, bunching the material up in his hands, his heartbeat racing and his cock thickening steadily in his borrowed pyjamas. In _Teddy’s_ pyjamas. 

“Oh, fuck,” James groaned, as he dropped one hand to his cock, cupping it through the thin material. He massaged it gently, his hands almost shaking as he breathed that scent down deeply again.

He was in Teddy’s pyjamas, because he’d had sex with Teddy last night, for _hours_ , because...James keened, a high and mewling sound as he squeezed his lips together, moved his hand faster. 

_Because Teddy wanted to._

James gasped, shoving the pyjamas down to his hips and wrapping his hand around his cock, stroking it as he pressed his face into the material. He mewled again as he felt that wet feeling building between his cheeks ― not like before, nowhere as bad as the heat, but still as strange, as arousing. He opened his mouth, moaning gently as he breathed in deeply. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, swallowing Teddy’s scent down. 

It made him think of mint again, and underneath that, the smell of fresh tomato leaves crushed between fingers. It was the smell of vanilla pods scraped down a sharp, clean knife, the scent of ― _ohh_ ― of vibrant hair being dried with a clean, warm towel, of lips against the pulse point of his neck. 

James upped his pace, fingers tightening and releasing around the head, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he gasped Teddy’s scent down.

It made him think of hips pushing against him, rolling into him. Of a deep voice whispering _“Can you feel that? That’s how badly I want you.”_ Of fingers pressed against his lips, the digits pushing inside so James could run his tongue over the tips, gasping as a knot pulled at his rim, again, and _again_. 

James moaned, open-mouthed and loud as he felt his orgasm building. He moved his hands faster, bending forwards slightly, nuzzling into the material. 

He thought of Teddy whispering to him over and over, lips on the shell of his ear, filthy platitudes and sweet truths that made James’s heart lurch, his toes curl. 

_I wanted you for years._

“Oh, oh, _ohh_!” 

James stuffed the corner of the robe into his mouth, trying to muffle the sound as he came in long, satisfying pulses over his fingers, onto the floor. He pumped his fist, working himself over, his come smearing down the shaft and between his fingers. He pressed his lips shut, breathing harshly through his nose as he rode it out. His fist gradually slowed, came to a stop, and he swayed on his feet, then sat down heavily on the bed. He grunted at the twinge of protest in his arse, letting the robe drop from his limp fingers down over his knee as his breathing slowed down. He let his eyes slide shut ― then screwed them up in embarrassment as he let what he had just done wash over him. 

“Merlin’s beard,” James mumbled as he looked down into his lap, at the mess on his hand, at the dressing gown over his knee ― which he’d just wanked over. His face turned redder at the thought of it. _Fucking hell_. He laughed somewhat awkwardly, holding his hand out in front of him and looking for his wand so he could cast a cleaning charm over the mess. Where was ― 

James swallowed thickly, a bucket of ice sliding down his throat and into his stomach, dousing the post-sex lethargy.

He couldn't cast a cleaning spell. His wand was in his coat, useless. He had no magic, which was why he’d had a heat, why he could pick up Teddy’s scent ― why Teddy had fucked him, James thought, a strange kind of almost-panic settling inside him. That was the reason all of this had happened, and now Teddy had left some time before James had woken up, and hadn’t returned. Maybe he regretted it, regretted what they’d done, what he’d said. Maybe Teddy didn’t really want ―

James closed his eyes as he remembered Teddy’s words, Teddy’s voice. _“You have no idea how attractive a person you are.”_ It hadn’t seemed like Teddy was lying. James felt his heart rate slowing down again, as he dropped his head, rolling his neck on his shoulders. He wasn’t sure if Teddy was even that good a liar, to be honest; he was usually honest to a fault. 

James set his jaw, looking down at his softening cock and then back at his hand. He wiped it determinedly on Teddy’s ruined bedsheets; it wasn’t as if they could really get any worse, he thought with a wry smile, not after everything they’d done on them. James bit his lip, his face heating once more as he stood. He shook his head as he pulled the pyjama bottoms back up over his hips. He looked at the dressing gown, then away again in embarrassment. 

Yeah, they probably, _definitely_ needed to talk, James thought, scrubbing his clean hand over his face and trying to settle the torrent of butterflies in his stomach. 

He moved for the door, then stopped and frowned. He bent down, then carefully folded the extra inch or two of too-long trouser material over, until the blue edge rested just above his ankles. He stood again, carefully walking around the damp spot on the carpet ― _sorry, Ted_ ― then headed for the stairs.

-*- 

This early into Spring, the air had a chill that raised bumps on James’s skin, which the morning sun gently warmed over as he stepped out the back door and into the sprawling garden. The cobbled pavers beneath his feet were still damp, his toes leaving prints as he walked. He ducked to avoid a large spider web, empty now except for the heavy dew drops hanging from the silk, and turned left, walking past the past the beehive and carefully avoiding stepping on the sprawling nasturtiums as he neared the hen-house. He smiled as he saw a familiar flash of robin’s egg blue through the meshed wire. James slowed his pace, the wet grass cold on his bare feet as he watched Teddy.

In a grey singlet and black sweatpants, Teddy’s hair hung messily over his forehead as he sprinkled the feed to the gaggle of birds clucking happily around his gumbooted feet. He looked happy, albeit tired, and as he reached the fence James realised Teddy was quietly talking to the birds. James smiled as he vaguely recalled that they all had names, that Teddy could somehow tell them apart; they all just looked like noisy, brown nuisances to James. 

“So is this your better offer than me, huh?” he said quietly, stepping up to the wire. 

“Shit!” Teddy turned, startled, dropping his bucket. James bit his lip, trying to contain his smile as he watched Teddy’s hair ripple from darkest blue, through to lilac, magenta, a vibrant fuchsia, and then slowly settling back to blue; it never got old, startling Teddy and watching the technicolour results. 

“Merlin. I didn’t hear you at all.” Teddy settled his hands on his hips, colour on the apples of his cheeks. James’s smile widened as he curled his fingers around the wire. 

“I’m light on my feet.” He stepped back, pulling at the fenced slightly. Teddy laughed, once, nodding in agreement. 

“Yeah, you are.” Teddy began walking towards the pen gate, “I didn’t mean to leave you. You were asleep, and ― shit!” Teddy swore again as he stepped into the chicken feed bucket. He shook it off his foot, shooing a chicken away from the door as he ungracefully exited. The chicken shot past him anyway, running past James and under a nearby shrub. 

“Oh, come on, Sally. Every bloody time.” Teddy clicked the gate shut in annoyance, turning to James. He wiped his hands on his trousers, clearing his throat roughly.

“You were asleep,” Teddy repeated, “and the birds were making a racket. Owen’s a noisy bastard,” Teddy gestured at a rooster, puffing up his feathers by the edge of his separate pen and preening as he watched Sally scratch in the dirt; she ignored him.

“I figured I’d better feed them,” Teddy went on, brushing his messy hair off his forehead. “I didn't mean to leave you to wake up alone. I thought I’d be quick and then back in there before you woke up. You seemed pretty out of it.”

“‘S’fine,” James said lightly, genuinely. “I was pretty out of it. Well, until….” He gestured at the rooster with two fingers. “The noisy bastard woke me up.”

Teddy nodded wryly, turning to Owen. He opened his mouth, then pursed his lips and winced as Owen let out a loud crow, which was immediately drowned out by the loud squawking of several hens; the rooster finished it’s significantly more subdued crow. Teddy made a face as the cacophony of chickens died down. 

“I’m gonna roast the lot of them,” he deadpanned, tucking his hair behind one ear and looking at his feet. James laughed, curling his toes in the grass and wishing he’d put on a t-shirt before he’d come out here; the sun was warm enough, but he was becoming acutely aware that he was only wearing one item of clothing. And even more acutely aware that Teddy had seen him in significantly less very recently. He folded his arms across his chest, listening to Sally scratch in the dirt behind him as the silence stretched on between them. 

“Um. So ― ” Teddy started, looking down at his boots. 

“Thanks,” James interrupted. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “For...last night.” 

Teddy looked up at him through his fringe, slowly raising his brows. “You do not need to thank me for that, James. If anything I should be...well, that was. I possibly shouldn’t have ―”

James shook his head, cutting him off. “No, you should have. That was good,” he blurted, his voice hoarse. 

He felt his face colouring again. _‘That was good’_ was something of an understatement, but _that was the best sexual experience I’ve ever had in the my life, and also the most honest I’ve ever been with someone, and I’m still trying to get my head around any of it even happening. By the way, I came on your bedroom floor earlier thinking about the way you smell like leaves_ , didn’t have the same kind of ring to it that James was aiming for here. He was massively out of his depth, though; mornings after mostly consisted of him doing a runner as soon as he could, if he’d even stayed the entire night. He had no intention of doing that here ― even if he’d been able to leave Teddy’s presence. 

Behind James, Sally’s scratching grew louder. Teddy smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting higher than the other. 

“You’re welcome, then,” Teddy rumbled. The breeze lifted a lock of hair across his brow, dropping it back against his temple again. James looked away, worrying at his lip.

“How do people cope with those?” he blurted, trying to steer the conversation onto something more familiar. “Heats, that is. I mean I couldn't bloody stand up properly, towards the end,” he complained. Teddy nodded his head from side to side sympathetically. 

“Yeah, they’re pretty inconvenient.” Teddy wiped his hands on his trousers. “And yours was worse, I think, than they usually are. They’re not all bad, though. I guess people just learn to manage them, predict them. Suppressants help,” he added.

“Mmm. Or jumping the nearest Alpha,” James joked quietly. He chewed on his lower lip. “That seemed to work out kind of okay.” 

Teddy hummed in agreement, then smiled, his face flushing. He stepped closer, drawing breath as if about to speak. He let it out again, eyes running over James’s face instead. James watched him back, the slight height difference making him tilt his head back, exposing his neck. He fought a shiver at the way Teddy’s eyes darkened at the sight of the purpling bruise there. James licked his lips. 

“You’ve, uh.” He waved a hand at Teddy’s head. “There’s a feather in your hair,” he mumbled. James hesitated then ran his fingers through Teddy’s hair, plucking the feather out. He held it out, twirling it gently as Teddy took it from him. Teddy’s fingers felt warm as they brushed James’s 

“Look, about last night. The things I said. I want to...” Teddy stepped closer, the soft bantam feather held between his forefinger and thumb. James swallowed, tilting his head back further. His heart hammered in his chest, nervousness and anticipation mingling inside him as Teddy flicked his tongue out to wet his lips. James leaned forward slightly, the breeze goosebumping his forearms as he let them hang by his side. 

Behind him, the sound of the hen scratching in the dirt grew louder. _Scratch, scratch, drag, scratch, thump_. 

James frowned, blinking rapidly as he looked away. That was too loud, too heavy. That sounded like feet, like ― 

_Oh, shit,_ James had just in time to think, before a flash of burgundy light hit Teddy between the eyes, saw him hit the far wall of the house and slide to the ground. 

“How dare you!” Marion screamed. “Get away from him!”

-*-


	5. Wolf Cub

-*-

Faint sunlight filtered through the leaves of the jacaranda tree, casting long uneven shadows over the dew-damp grass of Teddy’s backyard. A long, thin branch swayed gently in the breeze, handfuls of sweet-scented purple petals dropping off and landing in the wired chicken pen, on the soft feathered backs of the birds inside.

Outside, James struggled against the ropes binding him, his face screwed up in effort as he glared at the man opposite him. _Here we go again_ , he thought sardonically. his jaw clenched in anger. 

James grimaced, his heart racing and the back of his head aching from where he’d been hit with a Concussive Hex. Evidently not as badly as Teddy had been, though, he thought as he slid his gaze over to Teddy's prone form. James could see his chest still rising and falling. _Thank fuck for that_ , he thought as his heart thumped in his chest. But it was dangerous to stay unconscious for a long period of time with those sorts of hexes, dangerous to be hit that hard. James glared harder, his mouth contorting as he twisted his arms. What was it with this bastard and _ropes_? 

Whatever it was, James was not in the mood for this again. He’d been drugged, he’d been kidnapped, he’d had almost no sleep, and he’d finally, _finally_ got Teddy the way he wanted him ― like hell he was going to let this prick mess that up.

James clenched his jaw, smiling and baring his teeth. 

“Look, Marion. Can I call you Marion?”

“ _No_! You will call me ―”

“Marion,” James continued as calmly as he could. “This is getting fucking ridiculous!” he spat, his forced calm leaving him. He flicked his eyes back over to Teddy. “And he better not be hurt, or I swear to Godric I will shove my fist so far up your ―”

“Don’t speak to me that way! You,” Marion shook his head, his hair unwashed and limp, spittle in the corners of his mouth. “You must obey me. _Respect_ me!” he emphasised. 

“Ha!” James scoffed. “Bit hard to respect you when you keep tying me up!” James jangled his elbows as much as he could to show his point, but Marion simply shook his head, his eyes wide. 

“Be silent!” Marion screamed. He reminded James of a spooked horse, a rabid animal. James's lip curled in contempt. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased or alarmed that the man seemed so much less composed than previously, so much more overtly unhinged. He decided he didn’t care. He needed to get out of these ropes, to get help; he hoped Teddy’s wards had sent up an alarm to Pritchards, but he couldn't be sure considering this madman had managed to get through them. He’d already gotten the jump on the two of them, which was really fucking embarrassing is what it was, James told himself. But that didn’t matter ― he just needed to get out of these stupid bindings. 

“Look ―” James tried again, aiming for calm and missing it by a few miles. The man shook his head, cutting James off. 

“You’ve already been sullied,” he continued as though James hadn’t spoken. “Already been defiled by that… poor excuse for an Alpha.” Marion glared at Teddy, then scrunched his eyes shut. “But you're not claimed, good. All is not lost. Marked, _yes_ ,” the man shot Teddy another venomous look. “But not claimed. We can work with this.” James recoiled as Marion ran his eyes hungrily over his chest and neck. 

“We are not working with anything!” James licked his lips, thinking quick. “And I am sullied, I’ve been _very_ sullied by him, and it was bloody fantastic!” James raised his voice defiantly. “So you should really just leave before ―” 

“He’s not having you!” Marion screeched back, his wand aimed back at James’s face. James pursed his lips rather than reply. Fuck, maybe it wasn’t good that this lunatic was even less in touch with reality than last time. _I need to get rid of these ropes_ , James thought frantically. _I need to get out of these, now_.

“He’s not taking my spot with the Potters! As if he ever could, that,” he continued in a low, disgusted tone, “that dirty wolf cub ― ”

“Oi, watch it,” James snarled, flicking his eyes back up to Marion as anger surged through him on Teddy’s behalf. 

“― and his scent is all over you.” Marion’s face contorted angrily as he continued talking as if James hadn’t spoken, as he aimed his wand at Teddy’s chest. “All over _my_ ―” 

“I like his scent,” James hissed, a strange sensation tingling up his arms. _I need to get out of these ropes_. 

“Liar!”

“You, though. I can barely scent you at all.” James sneered, his voice heavy with disgust. _I need to get out of these ropes_ , he chanted in his head. _I need to get out of_ ― 

“Liar! You’re lying! You’re _mine_!”

_― these ropes. I need to get out of these ropes, right fucking now._

“I’m really not.” James clenched his fists, blanching as Marion raised his wand. His hand shook as he aimed it at Teddy. James stared at them ― at Teddy’s prone form, at the single, escaped hen clucking behind the tree near his head ― his heart racing as he felt the tingling sensation surging through him, building behind his shoulder blades and the base of his neck. _Fuck, I need to get out of these ropes. I need to get out of these, **now** , before he can hurt ―_

James landed with a thud and a soft _oof_ on the damp grass, momentarily stunned by the change in location. He blinked stupidly at his strangely tingling hands in front of him, then lurched to his feet. His unbound feet. His _unbound_ hands. He was out! James crowed a triumphant laugh. He was out, and ― 

“What’re you ― _no_! ” 

Marion turned wild eyes on James, firing off a spell at him. 

James ducked, swearing loudly as he groped around for something to grab. He crowed again as his hands touched something heavy and metallic, reflexively clenching his fingers around it. 

“Piss _off_!” James yelled, chest heaving as he swung the watering can as hard as he could at the man’s head. It made a satisfying clunk as it connected; Marion fell forwards. 

“And stay away from his chickens!” James added stupidly, breathing harshly through his nose as adrenaline surged in his stomach. He watched Marion cautiously, swaying gently and holding the metal watering can out in front of him. 

The man didn’t move. 

James sighed in exhausted relief, lowering his impromptu weapon. He sniffed, stepping forward to kick the wand as far away from Marion’s motionless hand as he could. He looked up to see the soft bantam watching him. 

“Alright, Sally?” he asked gruffly. The hen squawked loudly at him in reply, fluffling her feathers angrily. James nodded. 

“I know, he’s a right prick.” He glared at Marion Collin’s prone form, his own feet feeling wobbly underneath him. 

“J’ms?” Teddy stirred, groaning as he raised one hand to his head. “S’hap’ning?” he slurred. James exhaled, his shoulders sagging in relief. 

“Oh, thank fuck,” James said with feeling, his head spinning as he unceremoniously dropped the watering can onto Marion’s back, before unsteadily walking the few steps over to Teddy. “Oh, thank Merlin you’re alright.” 

“M’fine. M’head’s about to explode and there’s two of you, bu’ m’fine,” Teddy grunted, trying to sit upright. He blinked at the scene before him. “What the ― how did you…” Teddy took in the unconscious man, the watering can, and the determined hen patrolling around them both. “Merlin.” He swallowed. “Y’okay?” he asked, looking up at James with slightly unfocussed eyes. 

James nodded, even as the ground lurched under him. He laughed, looking back down as he heard the gentle pop of the Aurors arriving. 

Teddy’s hair was full of leaves and dirt, and a large red mark was blooming between his brows. His eyes were slightly crossed, as he winked one shut, and then the other, trying to see properly through his blurred vision. He covered his left eye with one hand, smiling vaguely up at James. His hair flickered from green to a buttercup yellow and down to a deep, warm orange that matched the nasturtiums sprawling behind him. 

James felt his heart stutter in his chest again, in a way that had nothing to do with adrenalin, and everything to do with the man sitting at his feet. And then he felt it hammer harder, in a way that possibly _did_ have something to do with the strange burst of magic he’d managed to use to get out of his bindings. He swayed slightly. 

“I think I might actually...need a cup of tea,” he managed, before the world slipped sideways and James blacked out for the second time in as many days.

-*-

“I sometimes wonder,” Albus said, shining the light of his wand into James’s left eye, and then the right, “if you’ve some kind of genetic predisposition towards fainting, or if it’s just a flair for the dramatic you like to wheel out at special occasions.” He sat back, marking something off the chart he brought, then looked over at James. “Possibly something you inherited from dad?”

“Oh, piss off, Al,” James shot back lightly. “It’s both,” he added playfully. Albus laughed, flicking James an amused look as he continued to write. 

James rubbed his neck, then up to the back of his head as Albus’s quill scratched against the parchment. He leaned back in Teddy’s kitchen chair, sighing as he felt slightly dizzy again. It was nothing as bad as previously, just a light feeling of disorientation. Not worth going to hospital, not really. Albus had come out instead, rather than drag them back into St Mungo’s for what he’d said was probably nothing. 

“Yeah. Sounds about right,” Albus continued without looking up. “Well, you’re fine, as far as I can tell. No significant damage to your brain that wasn’t already there,” James shot his brother a withering look; Albus stuck his tongue in his cheek, smiling wickedly as he kept talking. “It’s kind of...interesting, really, that you managed to overcome a pretty powerful potion in order to do anything magical whatsoever.”

“Yeah. Not really sure how that happened, honestly,” James confessed. All he could remember was the tingling in his hands as they were bound behind his back, and then the feeling of the grass beneath them as they suddenly…weren’t. Albus hummed contemplatively. 

“I have a theory.”

“As always.” James leant his chin in his hand. “Go on then, Alakazam, hit me with it.”

“Alright, Jemstone, seeing as you asked so nicely,” Albus smiled at him sweetly. “I think it’s similar to early expressions of raw magic from young children. You know, when they’re in distress, or danger, they can use wandless magic to help themselves. Fight or flight, really. So, everything was suppressed, but when you got stressed enough your magic fought through that, and… _poof_!” Albus cupped his hands, then waggled his fingers. “No ropes. Then the potion kicked back in, your body got a bit confused, and you did your fainting goat routine.” Albus sniffed. “Just a theory, mind. For all we know, Collins just cast a really pants Binding Charm.”

James nodded, distractedly chewing on a fingernail as he watched Teddy talking with the Aurors outside. There were still a few leaves in Teddy’s hair, damp patches visible on the back of his singlet as he rested his hands on his hips and nodded along with what they were saying. He glanced over at James and smiled, and James looked away sharply, his cheeks growing slightly warm. Albus watched them, then marked off a few more lines of his chart, smiling to himself. He looked up at James, his eyes sparkling with humour. 

“Must’ve been some powerful emotion back there making you desperate enough to do that,” Albus said conversationally.

“Um.” James swallowed, staring his brother down. Albus scratched his nose nonchalantly. 

“Anything you...want to tell me? About last night?” Albus twirled his quill, rocking back on his chair legs, “and about why you don’t seem to be in heat anymore, maybe? ‘Cos I definitely remember getting a somewhat frantic Floo call in the wee hours of the morning about a heat, and those don’t usually just stop,” Albus examined the feathers of his quill casually. “Not without some help, anyway.”

James cleared his throat, face heating up as he remained silent. He’d forgotten Albus knew all about that, forgotten about the overheard Floo conversation between his brother and Teddy. Forgotten that his brother knew...a worryingly perceptive amount about him. James looked down at his hands, then the table, then back at his brother. He had the urge to cover his neck, as Albus flicked his eyes down to it, then back to James. He raised one brow, and James swallowed loudly. _Shit_. Shit shit shit. He’d thrown on a t-shirt, but he’d completely forgotten to cover that ― to cover what must be a massive bruise blossoming on his neck. He coughed awkwardly.

“Um, well. About the burst of magic.” James stalled, trying to think of what to say and pointedly not answering Albus’s question about the heat. “He was, the guy, Collins. He was going to…going to hurt,” James glanced out the window, catching Teddy’s eyes; he quickly glanced back again, to his brother’s incredibly smug face. “Going to hurt the chickens?” James willed himself not to go redder as his brother raised both brows in disbelief. 

“The _chickens_?” Albus clunked his chair back onto all fours, folding his arms and smiling widely. “Oh yeah, that’s who you were worried about, the fucking birds! Not their owner at all ―”

“Shut up, Albus,” James mumbled, covering his face and glaring between his fingers. 

“― ‘Cos that’s you isn’t it,” Albus continued undeterred. “James Sirius Potter, defender of hens the world wide.” Albus laughed, shaking his head. James fought not to smile back through his fingers. Despite his teasing, Albus looked happier for him than anything else. James shook his head again, sucking on his lower lip as he tried by force alone to will his face to stop _blushing_. 

“He’s fine, by the way.” Albus inclined his head towards Teddy. “Bad bump on the forehead from the Hex and his vision is still a bit wonky, but other than that he’s completely fine. Not that you were worried.” Albus held his hands up facetiously, and James ran his hands up into his hair, grimacing. “As for the hens, well...I'm no bird Healer, so I can't speak for them.” 

“Ah, that’s quite a poultry excuse I would say,” a deep, eloquent voice cut in from the doorway. 

James and Albus both turned to see Scorpius entering the room, both arms behind his back and his face happy and open. 

“Get it? A paltry… _poultry_...it’s a pun!” he said, as they stared back blankly. “it’s a play on ―” 

“Yeah, we got it, Scorp,” James said gently, as Albus nodded. 

“It just doesn't make it funny,” Albus added, patting Scorpius on the arm as he stood next to him. 

Scorpius sighed, sticking his hand in his pocket to grab something. “Oh, to hell with you both, I think it’s clever.” He plonked a small vial onto the table, then rested his hands on his hips, the cuffs of his robe sleeves just covering his wrists. 

“What’s that?” James asked. 

“This,” Scorpius gestured at the vial, “is the antidote. Well, the beginning of a series of treatments which will be the antidote. This one now, and then I’ll be back every day this week with the rest. Then you’re done!” He picked the vial up, then handed it to James, who took it carefully from him. 

“That was quick,” he murmured. The vial felt curiously warm in his palm. 

“Yes, well, it was simpler than even I had anticipated. I knew the compounds were familiar, and I just couldn’t quite place why, and then Jenkins made this great observation about a case we had back in March, which of course meant we could use that same base for the antidote and ― well, I doubt you care about that side of things,” Scorpius said happily, as James wrinkled his nose sympathetically; he’d never been good at Potions, and often when Scorpius talked about his work it went over everyone’s heads. “We’re confident it will work, though,” he continued, nodding at the vial in James’s hand. “I mean, you could take the whole lot now, but we do think it would be best to stagger it over a few days, make sure nothing goes boom, you know,” he finished, laughing casually. Albus gaped up at him. 

“Goes _boom_?” Albus waved at James. “Presumably he’s the bit that might explode?” 

“Not, explode, Merlin,” Scorpius shook his head, rolling his eyes at Albus as he looked back at James. James tried to smile back, pending explosion or not, but his stomach squirmed uncomfortably as he looked down at the vial. “I did not say explode. Just, you know. We like to be cautious. If you’d prefer to have it all now ―”

“No, it’s fine Scorp,” James replied, picking the vial up carefully and holding it gently against his chest. “We can stagger it. We can...thanks, for this,” he managed around the curious lump in his throat. “Thank you,” he repeated.

He couldn't quite put his finger on the emotion he felt as he cradled the vial ― the beginning of the antidote ― against his skin. It still felt faintly warm, and James still felt faintly….confused. On the one hand, he felt so relieved he wanted to cry. He’d never wanted to be himself again so badly in his life, to be his normal, shitty, _abnormal_ self again. To hold his wand in his hand and heat a room, to clean a simple mess. Underneath that though, a part of him wanted to keep the cherry-coloured potion working on him, to keep presenting. To keep...he glanced out the window at Teddy again, swallowing thickly. To keep what he’d had last night. He knew that taking the antidote didn’t necessarily mean he couldn't keep that, but he couldn't shake the creeping doubt that it also _would_. He’d spent his entire adult life in the company of that doubt; he knew it wasn’t going to disappear after one night.

He looked away again, catching his brother’s eye. Albus smiled encouragingly at him, and James smiled back as warmly as he could. He clenched his toes, feeling the wobble of that imaginary tight-rope beneath him again, the one he felt like he’d spent far too long tip-toeing across. He was so tired of this stupid balancing act, of stopping himself from going after the things he wanted for fear of getting hurt. He sighed internally. Maybe...Maybe it was time to give something else a go. 

Across from him Scorpius nodded happily, then frowned at he looked at James properly. “Merlin, what’s happened to your nec ―”

“Okay!” Albus stood up, grabbing Scorpius’s arm. “Shall we leave James to it?” 

Scorpius frowned. “Oh, but I just got here. I know there was a kerfuffle, but I thought Teddy might let me visit the garden,” Scorpius babbled excitedly, James’s neck forgotten. “He’s got a huge bush of Dragon’s Blood out there, and I can use that to make a salve of ―”

“Yes, well Teddy’s huge bush will have to wait,” Albus interrupted, “as James has had a rough night, and you...” Albus struggled into his coat, looking at Scorpius evenly. “Have not slept, have you?” 

Scorpius shook his head, smiling shyly. “Not yet, no. We were making great strides with the antidote and...” Scorpius shrugged. 

“Thought so,” Albus said softly. “You’re weird when you don’t sleep.” He leaned forwards, brushing the hair away from Scorpius’s face. He untucked a piece from behind his glasses, pushing it gently behind Scorpius’s ear. “But thank you for your _eggcellent_ work on the antidote,” he whispered. Scorpius smiled back bashfully, then looked up indignantly at Albus’s grin. 

“Oh, very nice,” Scorpius said. “Now we’re making puns, are we? _Now_ puns are funny?” Albus laughed harder.

“Why did I never notice you two were a couple before?” James wondered aloud, interrupting them. 

Albus swallowed, turning slightly pink himself as he looked over at James, having apparently forgotten he was there. James leaned back in his chair, still cradling the vial and enjoying seeing his brother blush for once in their recent interactions. Scorpius simply sighed contentedly. 

“‘Cos you’re thick,” he answered, smiling deliriously, the purple bags under his eyes now evident. James snorted a laugh, followed by Albus. He was beginning to think he really had been. He looked down at the potion in hand, resisting the urge to look out the window again at Teddy talking with the remaining Aurors. He might’ve been quite thick about a lot of things, James realised. 

“Come on, you nutter, let’s go to mine. I’ll make you breakfast.” Albus laughed, grabbing Scorpius’s wrist and pulling him out the door. “And you can let me bask in how brilliant you are, and then bore me to death with the details of how you made the antidote. That’ll put us both to sleep.”

“Oh!” Scorpius laughed back happily, ignoring Albus’s jibe. “Well you won’t believe it, we had to look at the base compound, which was fascinating, really. Do you know that it had two ― two! ― different core elements? I mean that’s some complicated stuff, but Jenkins and I, well it was no match for us ―”

“Mmhmm,” Albus mumbled distractedly, fixing Scorpius's scarf and pushing him towards the door. He made a face at James, mouthing _“See you tomorrow, Jamie,”_ over his shoulder as he left, and James smiled, easy and broad, as he waved at them with two fingers.

-*-

James exhaled loudly, letting his head fall back. He stared at the ceiling for a long, quiet moment, listening to the sounds of the Aurors outside leaving. They’d probably want to have another word with him, take a proper statement. He was pretty sure he could avoid that for a bit longer, though. He raised his head, gripping the vial a little tighter as he stood up and moved to the kitchen counter. He hesitated a moment then lifted himself onto it, his back to the window.

James swung his legs, back and forth, banging his heels against the cabinet door beneath him. He twirled the vial between his fingers again, forwards one way, and then back the other, watching the liquid swirl as he tried to collect his thoughts. He heard the telltale creak of the garden door opening then clicking shut again, the soft pad of Teddy’s feet up the hallway and into the kitchen. James twirled the vial again, looking up as Teddy walked in. 

“They’re gone.” Teddy gestured out the window. “Told them they could have you tomorrow, but today you needed to rest.” 

James smiled back weakly. “Cheers,” he croaked. He cleared his throat, surprised by how hoarse he sounded ― by how nervous he felt. He looked back down at the soft blue of the liquid in the vial. 

“And Collins?”

“Got him this time, thanks to some excellent watering can wielding, or so I’m told,” Teddy joked. He rubbed his forehead, flinching as he touched the bump. “I don’t know about you, but I am knackered,” he said with feeling. James nodded, huffing a weak laugh. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty...tired.” He ran his hand over his mouth as he remembered the reason why, ran the previous evening through his mind. His arse was still somewhat sore, his muscles aching in a way they’ve never done before. From sex ― sex with Teddy. But sex while an Omega, he told himself ruefully. 

“I bumped into your brother on his way out. Scorpius, too,” Teddy said pointedly. He glanced down at the vial in James’s hand. “Good news, I hear?” he added quietly, tentatively. 

James swallowed, nodding stiltedly. “Yep,” he replied, his voice too loud to be natural. “Yep, all ready to,” he waved his free hand at himself, “you know. Back to how I was.” 

Teddy hummed, folding his arms as he walked closer to James. He leant against the kitchen counter, his shoulder resting against James’s as they both stared at the wall opposite them. 

“Would you like to have dinner with me on Friday?” Teddy asked quietly, after a long pause. 

James blinked, then looked across at him. “I have dinner with you every Friday,” he answered softly. His brows creased into a frown. Teddy nodded concedingly. 

“Yes. You do. At the pub, with the team. And we usually drink more than eat,” he added with a wry smile. “What I meant was...can I take you out for dinner on Friday? Just you and me.”

James stared at him, flushing as he frowned harder. “Like a date?” 

Teddy cocked his head, looking at James. His eyes flicked down to the mark on James’s neck and back up again, his gaze heated. “Yeah. A date. Somewhere fancy.” He looked back at the wall, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “If you want to, that is. No pressure. You can say no.” 

James blinked stupidly at the side of Teddy’s head. He tightened his grip on the potion in his hand as he swallowed. 

“Um. Yeah. Well, no, but by Friday I’ll be,” he looked up, his stomach clenching uncomfortable and his palms sweaty. “I won’t be presenting anymore,” he finished quietly. He gestured with the vial in his hand to make his point, his heart racing like he’d just run down a flight of stairs. 

“Yes,” Teddy agreed softly. “Like a normal Friday night, then.” He leaned his shoulder against James’s a little harder. “Except it’ll be just us. And we can….see what happens,” he finished, swallowing loudly as James just stared at him silently. “I like you, you know. A lot. Have done for a while now.” Teddy cleared his throat. “I know I told you that last night, but I feel like saying it again. I like you. I did before this,” Teddy gestured at the potion in James’s hands. “I did during this. I will after this,” he said, curling his fingers around James’s, the vial held between their fingers. “I just like you.”

“Yeah, but ―” James started, but Teddy shook his head. 

“No ‘but’, James. There aren’t any clauses on the end.” He shrugged again. “I just like you,” he repeated, squeezing James’s hand again before letting go. 

James stared back evenly, his head spinning giddily and his chest feeling tight. He fiddled with the vial again, then gripped it in his fist, something still niggling at him. 

“But, you like me...like this?” he questioned, waving one hand over his torso and abdomen. Teddy raised his brows in confusion and James shook his head as he tried to articulate himself. “I mean, how I normally am. Before all this, with the potion and the heat and the...with us.” James looked away at the memory, heat suffusing his cheeks and neck. “I mean without all that, you… You like me, like that?” 

Teddy laughed once, straightening up as he frowned. “Of course I mean like that. I’ve never really known you to be any other way, James.”

“Until recently…”

Teddy laughed again. “Yeah, until recently, true. And that was great, but you were still you the whole time.” He pushed himself away from the counter, then stepped closer again, between James’s parted thighs. “Still snarky as hell, refusing to admit when you need help.” He stepped closer again, his legs against the counter. James tiled his head up, Teddy’s eyes running over his neck again. “Still cracking jokes instead of admitting something is wrong ―”

“Okay, I thought you said you _liked_ me,” James interrupted stonily. “You make me sound like a total pain in the arse.” 

Teddy laughed harder, his face open and genuine. “I do like you!” he said, lifting his hands then dropping them back down. “I like those things about you!” 

James smiled, licking his lips and straightening slightly. He banged his heels against the cabinet one last time, worrying at his lower lip. “Friday, huh?”

Teddy nodded empathically, colour blooming on his cheeks. “We can go somewhere fancy,” he repeated. He likced his lips, then tilted his head. “Or somewhere not fancy, like the chippy up the street?” he added quietly, his lips quirked into a smile. 

James laughed, loudly and unattractively. “Yeah, chippy works for me. I don’t really do fancy. Too many forks. Remember that time you bought me oysters?” 

Teddy shook his head happily. “I will never forget you trying to eat oysters.”

James smiled back, then looked down at his feet, sighing heavily. He rubbed at his forehead before he met Teddy’s eyes again.

“The thing is, I’m not. This isn’t going to be very… I don’t really know how to do something like this,” he waved his hand between them. “I don’t think I’m going to be very easy to...you know,” he finished lamely. He couldn't quite find the words for what he needed to say, and he wasn’t sure there was much point in saying it, but he needed to try all the same. Teddy nodded at him, folding his arms. 

“That’s okay,” he said gently. “We can just start with dinner.” He leaned down slightly, his face close to James’s. “And then come back here,” he rumbled. James tilted his face up again. “If you like?”

“Yeah,” James breathed. “I’d like that.” He flicked his tongue out to wet his lips. “You know, you’re gonna get sick of reassuring me that you want me, though,” James joked, his voice cracking at the end as the levity he tried to inject into his tone didn’t quite land. 

“I doubt it,” Teddy whispered. “I've got stamina.” He leaned down and kissed James gently, warmly, on the cheek. “Try me,” he whispered. “On Friday.” His face was earnest and open and familiar, and new to James at the same time. 

James laughed thickly, nodding as he breathed out. He looked down at the vial in his hand. 

He thought about tightropes, about years spent wobbling between thinking he was okay, that he could teeter there forever, and thinking he was going to fall off whether he liked it or not. Maybe it was time to get off the fucking thing, to see what would happen if he jumped. Maybe it didn’t matter if anyone caught him or not. He thought of Teddy and Albus, of his father in his hospital rooms, of Scorpius staying up all night to find him an antidote; maybe there were a surprising number of people who would catch him after all. 

He thought of that spring, at fifteen, when the first doubts that he was different had crept in and planted a lonely seed in the middle of his chest which had grown, and grown, until it was a huge strangling vine that wrapped around his throat. He touched his throat gently, touched the mark on it now. 

He’d always wanted this. Wanted to present, to be an Omega. He had it now. For a brief moment, he considered not drinking the potion, considered tipping the vial down the sink instead and staying an Omega for the rest of his life. When he drank the antidote, he’d never have that again; he’d never have a heat, Teddy’s scent would be lost to him, he thought sadly. He’d never sense Teddy again the way he had before.

 _There’ll be new ways though, other ways. Different ways_ , a voice whispered inside him. 

He thought of how intrusive the scents had been, how strange his body had felt during the heat. Wonderful, yes, but also uncontrollable, painful; above all, it hadn’t felt like it was his own. _Because it wasn’t_ , the voice agreed. James realised he missed it, missed the way he was before. He really did miss his old self, he realised with some surprise. 

And maybe there wasn't anything wrong with him, James thought, looking to the side and chewing on his lip. And then again, maybe there was after all, and maybe it wasn’t that bad either way. James turned the vial, remembering the first time he’d held a wand in his hand, saw the light flicker at the end of it, tendrils of silver magic spiraling away and up to the ceiling. He remembered how right it had felt, the bursts of energy in his chest, the laughter from his family as he spun in circles and lit up the air. 

Really, there was no choice at all. And either way, he was going to let himself have what he wanted ― he was going to make damn sure of that,he thought as he looked into Teddy’s smiling eyes. James inhaled deeply. 

“Fuck it.” 

He lifted the vial to his lips and swallowed its contents. He grimaced, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, then looking up at Teddy. He smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting up behind his hand as he ran it over his his mouth then licked his lips. Teddy looked from his eyes to his mouth, then back again, his own lips tilting into a familiar, lopsided smile. 

“Alright, Jamie?” he asked gently. James dropped the vial into the sink. It rattled softly, then stilled. 

“Why’s it always taste like coconut?” he whispered, smiling back. Teddy laughed and kissed him.

-*-

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are love! Come find me on [LJ ](http://shiftylinguini.livejournal.com/profile/)or [tumblr ](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard)<3


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